Up to a third of Barnes & Noble stores to close, report says

LA Times ^ | 1/28/13 | Tiffany Hsu

[jimbo123]

Barnes & Noble will shut up to a third of its brick-and-mortar bookstores over the next decade as reading habits change and digital publications evolve, according to a new report.

The chain will end up with 450 to 500 stores in 10 years, down from the 689 physical stores it has now, according to Mitchell Klipper, chief executive of Barnes & Noble's retail group.

That evens out to about 20 stores shuttered yearly over the period, Klipper said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

[Hardastarboard]

I like traditional books as well, but as much as anything, I object to the price of eBooks. They are anywhere from $10 to $15, almost as much as a book printed on paper, and there are no paper costs, shipping costs, or anything else that drive that pricing.

Then I think about the whole Digital Rights Management thing, and realize that I might lose my right to the book, as opposed to having physical possession of a book that cannot be taken from me for any reason. If they were 5 bucks, I might consider it.

[CatherineofAragon]

"I don’t like my reading to be dependent on something that requires a power supply."

Yep, that's a point, too.

[Mike Darancette]

They will keep the ones open next to the record shops.