Find a technological way to turn their stores into e-versions of what they were up to this point.
Invent a technology where you can bring your e-reader into the physical store and electronically browse what’s there but as soon as you leave the store what you didn’t pay for goes up in smoke like in the old Mission Impossible TV shows.
Keep the cafes, the comfy chairs, and the prime locations.
Once people are hooked on a book they are “browsing” the chances are quite high they’ll actually go ahead and buy it - which is how their old model worked.
I agree there is an innovative new business model waiting to be discovered, and B&N ought to get busy or it’s going to become the next casualty. For example, rather than fighting Amazon, maybe there’s a way they could become the brick-and-mortar extension of Amazon, and merge the Kindle and Nook to better serve customers with a single unified e-book standard, but with multiple options for shopping.
The superstore book store model is a money loser. Before Borders went belly up, its Waldenbooks stores were actually losing less than its superstores. And publishers are the ones making the most from ebooks. Last I knew, most, if not all publishers, were charging e- and retailers the same price for the electronic editions that they charge for the dead trees. Plus, the increase in transpo, warehousing, other costs are really doing a squeeze on margins for book retailers. Changes in publishing are also taking place. My bet is that, other than indie booksellers, the only big guys who’ll make a profit selling dead tree books will use a convenience book store model, kinda like what Waldenbooks and B. Dalton used to do.
That’s a great idea.
I don’t think the e-books are what’s putting them out of business. We have a Kindle Fire and an iPad (w/iBooks) and we only buy “real” books, not e-books. We like the fact that we can read a book and then pass it on to someone else. Plus a large part of the population doesn’t even have access to an e-book device so I can’t see where that’s destroying their business.
So then where is the problem. IMO, Amazon is the problem.
I order all our books from Amazon (and with Amazon Prime...I now order almost all my “everything” off the site.) The prices are cheaper than in the store, w/Prime the shipping is free for 2 day delivery, and 3.99 if you need it next day.
I think Amazon is what’s gotten the chain bookstores in trouble.
I agree. All one needs is an internet connection to buy ebooks. That should be easy.
The bookstore experience has just gotten better and better — just not for selling books.
As you said, the books should be there for browsing and then buying online, either the eversion or paper.
I also think there should continue to be the bargain/remainder aisles. Everyone likes to pick up a physical book, especially coffee table type books, at a very low price. Every year for Christmas and birthdays, we buy our kids an interesting reference book out of the bargain bin — this year “Small Arms of the World,” for example. Believe or not, these books get used! But I would never pay “full” price for them.
The cafe and venue aspects should be focused on as the moneymaker. Some of the floorspace should be converted to a small enclosed venue with a stage and soundsystem where singer/songwriters and other performers can play shows for a small ticket price (much like some true coffeehouses). Also this venue could show films, classic, foreign etc.
Bottom line is these companies should realize they have a valuable asset in the bookstore experience for consumers, but they need to quickly figure out that they are not going to be able to depend on physical bookselling as a revenue source.
You also get free books on Fridays. There's lots of nice promotions for the nook and the stores.
There are some B&N haters here on FR because of the overall leftist lean of publishing and bookselling, but I am distressed at the possibility of losing more bookstores. I happen to love Barnes and Noble, and I never do business with Amazon for reasons of my own. Amazon is evil.
Every time I'm at a B&N, it seems to be doing very well. The coffee line is long, and people are bustling buying books and DVDs and CDs.
This is sad. Do we just get the book section of WalMart now?
“Find a technological way to turn their stores into e-versions of what they were up to this point.”
I think you’re on the right path. Even if the retail business evolves into primarily e-purchases there has to be retail distrubution centers to ship from. Also, there are many folks (tire kickers) who will want to touch and feel prior to making a purchse, especially big ticket items. So, it seems to me that there may be a melding of disty’s and big box retail outlets. Maybe there will be less floor space devoted to displaying merchandise and perhaps these facilities will have less visual amenities. Don’t know, just speculating...
**Find a technological way to turn their stores into e-versions of what they were up to this point.**
BTTT!