B&E Sinking

[sr71plt]

The last of the national big-box bookstores may be on its way down the tubes.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ble-bookstore-chain-william-lynch-jr/2506357/

 

[lovecraft68]

Sad news for us dinosaurs who still enjoy hanging out in book stores.

bad news for the e-market as well. Amazon was losing its stranglehold, now this will hand it back to them.

Hard to believe you can be the last real book chain out there and still crap out.

I as also under the impression their e-sales were doing well. Since Amazon started its "let's hide indy erotica" game my B&N sales tripled and I know it did for a lot of others as well.

 

[TE999]

To paraphrase a line from 'King Kong': "It was Kindle that killed the beast."

The last indie bookstore in the next town over is contracting into 2/3 less space due to " ... decreased demand for printed books."; it had opened in 1948. The Books A Million out by the mall's going strong though.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Who's B&E?

 

[laptopwriter]

This is very sad news

But not unexpected.

 

[TE999]

Who's B&E?

It's not a who, it's a what; B&E=Breaking and Entering in copspeak.

BBW?

BMW?

B&M Baked Beans?

B&B?

BB gun?

Boobies?

BM?

B Natural?

B Flat?

Beehive?

Beeline?

That be all.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It's not a who, it's a what; B&E=Breaking and Entering in copspeak.

BBW?

BMW?

B&M Baked Beans?

B&B?

BB gun?

Boobies?

BM?

B Natural?

B Flat?

Beehive?

Beeline?

That be all.

I know all that. He posts a story about Barnes & Noble (aka B&N) then types in B&E in the title. I was just asking who/what is B&E, didn't see anything that referenced those initials.

 

[sr71plt]

It was a typo, not a federal crime. You'll have to try to get over it.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It was a typo, not a federal crime. You'll have to try to get over it.

Yeah you never brought up someone's typo's like it was the crime of the century. Hypocrite.

 

[sr71plt]

Not interested in your petty backbiting, Zeb.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Not interested in your petty backbiting, Zeb.

Then quit sniping at everyone on the other threads.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think its sad that this is a forum of writers and generally writers are great fans of reading and books.

The article talks about the last remaining real book store chain going under and there are only a hand full of posts.

And most of the posts are over a typo.

Then again I imagine a good majority of the people in the AH are an example of why its closing in the first place. All many posters do here is talk about how they only read e-books and even then only the free ones.

So I guess that takes away the right to bitch anyway.

I guess I'll have to look at the bright side. When the local Borders had their huge close out sale the wife and I spent about $400 and had to make two trips in and out of the store to carry out everything we bought.

Guess B&N will be getting one more big sale from us before they go.

Shitty way to get a deal though.

 

[MSTarot]

At one point in time, and not that long ago, there was a blacksmith in every village, dozens in ever medium size town. The large cities had sections of town just for them. They were it.

Find one now. It takes effort unless you live in an area where they have horses and that's more a farrier than a true blacksmith (Even most of them will admit to that) Times changed and the technologies with it. What had once seemed something you couldn't live without, became obsolete.

That's what is trying to happen with the printed word. Newspapers have dropped so much in sales that they are failing left and right. Magazines are only keeping their head above water by selling half their volume to advertisers. Well, ever since they came out with the e-books it's been the bookstores turn.

I don't own any type of digital reader, it's not my type of thing. I'm not in anyway a child of this generation (well, other than this silly computer that I don't know how to half use). I spend so much of my off time with things like gardening, DIY projects, and SCA camping that I don't have time or desire to keep up to date on every little change that comes around.

But some of those little changes become not so little. Will I ever see the day when there is no bookstores? I don't think so, used bookstores will always be there for anachronisms like myself, at least within my lifetime. But they will get harder to find.

I'm afraid though that seeing the things we loved falling away to be replaced with things we don't is simply a 'Sign' that we are getting older.

I loved listening to vinyl records, cassettes were easier though. CD's even more so, but they seemed like they were somehow less, even though they sounded better. Maybe because they were smaller, or because there were so many of them. Now it's all digital downloaded music. Now that's a huge change just within my lifetime.

What will happen to books and bookstores? Well,when was the last time you walked into a record store and bought a new released album? Yeah.

 

[MSTarot]

"Sorry"

Picks up my soapbox and goes to get more coffee.

 

[sr71plt]

One of the "changes" I find interesting is that when B&N and Borders came to town we were mourning the demise of the small local-based independent bookstores--which (mostly) are still here after the big box stores have been packing it in.

 

[PennLady]

"Sorry"

Picks up my soapbox and goes to get more coffee.

Don't be sorry. You make good points. Things change, and change is always difficult, for reasons personal and more broad.

When I used to live in the DC area, a frequent thing that came up was horse racing and betting in Maryland and many people thought the state should prop up the industry a bit. My feeling was -- why? I am sorry for the people that made their living based on that, but no one is guaranteed that their industry continue. Maybe horse racing is just on its way out, but I don't see why the state should subsidize those farms or betting facilities. If it was my family or business, I might feel differently, no doubt.

The book industry is changing. Maybe it wasn't the best model to begin with, but it was what we had so we went with it, and for quite some time. There will be shake ups and fall out as the model changes. But why should I pay $25 for the new hardback bestseller? Answer: I don't.

Yes, I get Kindle books (and Nook, for my kids) for free. If they cost money, I would still get some, just far less. I do buy the occasional book, but I can't help it -- I don't have the money to spend on them. Which also means I don't have the money to spend on print books.

Of course people will take things for free if you offer it. If newspapers (and I worked for a news publisher) and book publishers did not want to fight the "free" wave, then they should have charged at the outset. People would have gone along with it and then that would be the established model. In fact, that's what my company did. From the beginning of establishing their web presence, they charged for access to our sites.

It's just tough when things are changing.

 

[R. Richard]

The problems with bookstores are, unfortunately, echoing back to the publishers who feed the bookstores product. As the bookstore industry faces hard times, so do the publishers. Sad,

 

[lovecraft68]

Here, there wasn't really any small independent bookstores(well not new books anyway, we do have some awesome used bookstores)

Even before borders and B/N there was a chain Walden Books.

But I imagine a small store would be easier to keep afloat than a massive chain. I'm hoping they keep their digital platform running they seemed to be doing well with it.

But this little box we are always on has destroyed the economy. The more things it makes obsolete the more lost jobs with none to replace them.

Not only book stores, but all the video rental chains are done or about to be.

No one wants to leave their house. They go to amazon and right click and sit on their asses til whatever they order arrives.

Music/movies/books all see you later. And the newspapers are dying and where are all those people who work printing them going to go?

Hell I closed my comic store when I was still making a profit because as the economy was starting to sour, the major companies were raising prices and making it so you had to read every title in their line to follow a story.

then they came out with on line services where you could read x amount of titles for like $10 a month.

yeah, see ya. I closed while still making some money and now wonder I bothered with a brick and mortar store when I see how much I make online now with no overhead.

Can't beat them join them.

 

[sr71plt]

The problems with bookstores are, unfortunately, echoing back to the publishers who feed the bookstores product. As the bookstore industry faces hard times, so do the publishers. Sad,

Except that the publishers have another distribution outlet now--the e-book. Once they realized that this didn't make them as dependent as before on bricks and mortar bookstores, they embraced e-booking.

 

[lovecraft68]

Except that the publishers have another distribution outlet now--the e-book. Once they realized that this didn't make them as dependent as before on bricks and mortar bookstores, they embraced e-booking.

Initially they didn't which is how indy's got huge. Amazon went to the publishers back when kindle was new and they said "Pffftttt! we want to sell real books"

So Amazon welcomed the indies who literally filled their library and made a killing.

Now the dinosaurs see the writing on the wall and where the industry is and went running to Kindle

Who of course embraced them and are now saying, "Thanks, now get out you're lowering the property values" to the indy authors.

The erotica authors anyway I am adding that before someone comes in with their "My sci fi book is doing well" comment. Its been well established what Bezos is trying to get rid of.

 

[PennLady]

No one wants to leave their house. They go to amazon and right click and sit on their asses til whatever they order arrives.

I think that has less to do with people not wanting to leave their house and a lot more to do with selection and pricing. Blockbuster might have had a pretty good selection (and I used to have a Blockbuster card, and a Hollywood Video) but the simple fact is that Netflix had more movies to offer, far more than it probably made any sense for a physical store to stock. Also, there is a convenience factor, no doubt, of not having to drive your car to get it and then drop it off all within 24 hours. Netflix also gave you flexibility.

The internet has caused a lot of changes in a lot of places, but it's all still shaking out, I think. But that shaking out process is never easy.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think that has less to do with people not wanting to leave their house and a lot more to do with selection and pricing. Blockbuster might have had a pretty good selection (and I used to have a Blockbuster card, and a Hollywood Video) but the simple fact is that Netflix had more movies to offer, far more than it probably made any sense for a physical store to stock. Also, there is a convenience factor, no doubt, of not having to drive your car to get it and then drop it off all within 24 hours. Netflix also gave you flexibility.

The internet has caused a lot of changes in a lot of places, but it's all still shaking out, I think. But that shaking out process is never easy.

I would say we are each half right.

Do not under estimate two things the internet has provided people with

1) instant gratification. You can instantly download a movie as opposed to getting in your car and driving all the way to the store. I mean think of how many face book posts or how much gaming you are losing out on (not you personally, you as in general public these days)

2) it feeds the inherent laziness of people, especially the younger ones who only know the "computer age"

 

[PennLady]

I would say we are each half right.

Do not under estimate two things the internet has provided people with

1) instant gratification. You can instantly download a movie as opposed to getting in your car and driving all the way to the store. I mean think of how many face book posts or how much gaming you are losing out on (not you personally, you as in general public these days)

But when Blockbuster, et al, were around, was not that instant gratification compared to going to a movie theater? You could drive to the store and be home quickly instead of going to the theater, paying admission, and sitting there for the duration. A 3-4 hr trip was no reduced to less than an hour, right?

When grocery stores spread, wasn't that instant gratification? With prepared foods that were easier to cook, with a bunch of food right in front of you that before you probably had to go to a few stores for, if they were sold in your area at all?

When cars came into widespread use, wasn't that instant gratification compared to long train trips? Clothes washers and dryers? Dishwashers? These all gave some instant gratification compared to what came before.

Instant gratification is not a new thing and it's not necessarily bad. It may be "more" instant in the case of the internet, but so what? As for movies -- why shouldn't I watch it at home, when it costs less money and where I am more comfortable and don't have to deal with people eating or talking or texting? If the theaters want me back, give me a better deal for my money.

I actually love to watch movies in theaters, seriously, but it's a rare thing in part b/c we have kids, and in part b/c it costs $20 or more for me and Mr Penn to see one. And that's just ticket prices -- we're not talking gas, or food (like a pre-movie dinner), or whatever else.

2) it feeds the inherent laziness of people, especially the younger ones who only know the "computer age"

I don't think that's entirely true or at least, it has to do with a lot of factors. Not every one is lazy, including kids in the computer age.

 

[49greg]

Bookstores were/are fun. Are libraries next?

I have spent a lot of hours browsing through bookstores, trying to decided what books to get, mentally juggling my budget and the back cover blurbs.

And just as much time in Libraries. But recently in several towns I've lived in the libraries are getting their budgets cut.

I love books but mostly read with the Kindle and B&N programs on my laptop. And yes, most of my 'naughty' books are from B&N. I miss the ability to easily flip back to check what happened in a previous chapter in a real book, or look a map. I just isn't as easy in an ereader.

Anyway just a ramble. I live in a small rural town that no longer has a bookstore, it was small, underfunded and for the time it was here they mostly carried children's books. Now it's just one of many empty storefronts on Main street.

 

[Saxon_Hart]

I hope I never see the end of the printed book. I have been asked why I keep so many books. Electronics fail. Batteries die. You pay hundreds for a reader and then you have to buy the material. I prefer to buy a book, and read it. I'll never have to worry if my book is charged. I'll never have to worry about the TSA ruining my book with electronic probing. Fuck, if the NSA wants to know what page I'm on they have to fucking ask me. The electronic world offers us a lot, but it is also taking a lot away from us. I had a friend on Facebook comment the other day that she had received a hand written letter in the mail. I can't remember the last time I received, let alone wrote a letter and mailed it.
I felt the same way when fuel injection took over the job of the carburetor. I guess I was meant to live in an earlier age.