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 ...
Same with me. Downsized our residence to single floor house at 1,800 sf from ranch over full basement at 2,600 sf. Parted ways with many books and a National Geographic mag collection of over 30 years all stored in the faux leather annual binders. Looked great on a bookshelf but nobody or place wanted them but the Dumpster. Actually a good place for the post 1990 issues and their woke green bent!
Where will we get our copies of Fahrenheit 451 now?...............
I have an extensive hard copy library that cannot be revoked, revised, disappeared or otherwise fvcked with, as repressive regimes tend to do. They’d gave to go all Fahrenheit 451 on me. The survivors would, anyway.
Technology is changing everything, businesses need to adapt or perish.
I agree. Especially the Bible.
Besides the publishing industry is liberal elite and corrupt.
All those books people like Biden say they wrote and sell?
The ‘publishing industry’ takes orders from ‘backers’ who buy 30,000 at a time - and pay the publishers NOT to print the books so they don’t show up on the secondary markets... (which would make it obvious the book sales were really illegal donations.)
Ebook sales suck.
Folks still want dead tree editions, but what’s being publushed nowadays, in every genre, just sucks.
I like the self-publishing idea, but mist of them decide to save themselves the cost of a decent editor and boy, does it show.
I don’t bother with self-published anymore.
My recommendation for anyone wanting something new to them to read, buy used. And old.
A lot of those books go to public library systems buying them with taxpayer money.
Just another reason I refuse to use our public libraries.
Not everything at Costco is cheaper than Wal-Mart, but most items are. Costco has much better quality in almost all product categories.
AS an example, if a person needs Claratin for allergies, the price for the Kirkland brand is $4.49 for the D-24. Everywhere else is 3-5 times higher.
Meat prices are also very reasonable, and the quality is Choice or Prime grade.
Bread prices are much lower at Costco, as are most frozen foods and dairy products. Milk is a possible exception since Kroger has milk on sale most of the time.
That’s for sure.
“Yeah, I know, pretty petty, but what the heck.”
Think of it as a hobby.
I agree. There are still many used book sources, and the books are usually in good condition. I just wipe them down.
There are still used books available and they’re usually in very good or good condition. I just wipe them down.
I gave up on Costco when they went from tradesmen only: farmers, loggers, commercial fishermen, mechanics to allowing nurses - after that I only went there for specific items, and only if the round trip gas bill was not a factor.
Last trip - over 10 years ago, as the nearest stores are 30 miles away.
I buy books at Goodwills and other thrift shops.
But only hardcovers.
Gotta clean them thoroughly though, silverfish can hide in the spine binding.
I’ve gotten some really good classics that way: Twain, Dickens, Doyle, Kipling, Austen................
LOL
The biggest advantage of physical books is that the censors cannot go back and “edit” them to make them “politically acceptable”.
That applies to both fiction and non-fiction.
Imho this will become a bigger and bigger issue in the years ahead.
My daughter is a book editor and bibliophile. At last count she’s at 1300 books. She recently moved to and from apartments with stairs.
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