Catchy title, don’t you think?
Posted on 06/07/2024 8:10:56 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Costco will no longer offer books for sale year-round and will instead stock them only for the holiday shopping period and during special promotions, according to a report — a surprise move that poses yet another threat to the publishing industry.
Several publishing executives who were informed of the retailer’s plans told The New York Times that Costco will cease offering books for sale on a consistent basis starting in January.
The decision was met with criticism on Reddit, where users vented that the decision was akin to “cancelling the hot dog in the food court” — a reference to Costco’s beloved $1.50 hot dog-and-soda bundle deal that remains a hit with customers.
The executives said that Costco was looking to cut back on labor costs associated with stocking books, which is often done by hand.
Unlike books, many of Costco’s other products are rolled out on a pallet.
Costco staffers also have to devote considerable manpower to put new books on display every week when they are released for sale while returning old books that went unsold.
The decision is a blow to the publishing industry given that Costco buys books in bulk — ordering tens of thousands of copies of a book at a minimum — and offers them for sale to shoppers who may not otherwise seek them out.
“Costco across the country was a big outlet for books,” Robert Gottlieb, a literary agent who heads Trident Media Group, told the Times.
“There are now fewer and fewer places to buy books in a retail environment.”
Last week, Costco reported robust earnings in its most recent quarter as cash-strapped consumers flocked to its warehouses to grab low-priced discretionary items and groceries.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I think the only books I’ve bought at Costco were gifts 10+ years ago. I haven’t bought a printed book in years.
I miss physical books but moving and storing the. Is a pain.
I’ve never been in a CostCo. I don’t suppose they have a large book selection. Aren’t most books sold online?
The book industry is facing economic headwinds as people migrate to online sources.
For the past 8 years I have bought at least 20 books ON AMAZON KINDLE. Saves a lot of space at home.
Besides, most of the books on print that I want to read are available at our library system.
The book industry is facing economic headwinds as people migrate to online sources.
For the past 8 years I have bought at least 20 books ON AMAZON KINDLE. Saves a lot of space at home.
Besides, most of the books on print that I want to read are available at our library system.
My local Costco would take conservative books and put the price tags over the faces of the writers. Happened ALL THE TIME so I assumed it was store policy.
Wine section - They have great prices
Book section -- I like to look for books by people like Michelle, or Hillary or others and then cover them up with other books.
Yeah, I know, pretty petty, but what the heck.
I do a TON of Kindle books, but pretty much only fiction. For history, its pretty much always physical books for me. I probably still get 30-50 physical books each year.
Yeah, I just winnowed down the collection in the basement last summer. Very difficult to get the grandchildren to read anything that isn’t a school book (and there aren’t that many any more), and my vision is to the point where most of my reading is on a larger computer screen, like right now.
Costco? Meh. When archive.org is down, I remember Fahrenheit 451.
Years ago in a move I got rid of nearly all my books. Almost cried as I sold off and gave away thousands of books.
I prefer real, physical books over Kindle books. I do have a lot of Kindle ebooks, but I also have a lot of real books. I just prefer having real pages to turn. Yes, they take up more room. I do buy a lot of real books at Costco, sometimes for myself and sometimes as gifts. I understand why they are making this move, but I’m sad to see it.
I treasure my printed books as the online editions of reference books like dictionaries have their definitions changed.
I have a new condition Chicago Manual of Style, an compact OED with magnifying glass, a Black’s Law Dictionary 5th Edition, a knock-off Webster’s 2nd Ed. (I cannot afford a real one yet).
Even ABE Books doesn’t carry much in the way of old print dictionaries. They are needed!
I bought a Costco membership two years ago. Did not see any benefit from them, and their prices for just about everything is higher than what I can get from Wal-mart or Target and other local retailers. The only benefit I got from Costco was the lower-priced gas, but then, it amounted to just a few dollars savings for a year. Last month,I dropped my membership. Costco did offer higher pay than Wal-mart of Target, but that advantage has disappeared in the last few years with the higher-wage demands of recent years. But, the higher wages also meant higher prices for their goods, therefore, it was not for me.
A mind is a terrible thing.
Catchy title, don’t you think?
I’ve never watched an episode of Seinfeld or set foot in a Costco. Don’t plan to do either.
I’ll never buy anything but printed books.
When/if the grid goes down, people with books will be at a comfortable advantage. No batteries required.
I feel the same. I enjoy a real book. Books are treasures.
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