Hello everyone! Welcome to my ☀Daily Book Chat☀ where I do some SERIOUS discussions that fellow book fans will get a kick out of and relate their thoughts about the subject to other book fans!
Today's discussion question is Bookstores...Are they in danger?
Today's discussion question is Bookstores...Are they in danger?
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Wait....are you serious? Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that this is true?
Well, unfortunately, according to this article, it seems to be the case...
As a MASSIVE book fan myself, I am completely DISTRAUGHT over this news. I mean, I get that we are entering a new age of technology where ONLINE SHOPPING is becoming the norm, but seriously, Barnes and Noble is like one of the MAJOR bookstores out there and to see such a bookstore giant like Barnes and Noble possibly going down under is enough to get me riled up and start a huge RALLY just to make sure our beloved bookstores don't go DOWN UNDER!!!
AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! SEEEEEE TTTTHHHIIISSS!!!?? SEE HOW UPSET I AM ABOUT ALL THIS!!!!????
Ahem...uh...sorry about the angry flames of death spewing from that sentence...You can clearly see how this is upsetting me. Anyway, this is clearly tragic news for the book community at large and I guess the only thing I can really say at this point is: Where do we go from here?
The only way I can give this PROBLEM some perspective is if I view it from two different angles and that's the business side and the Book Fan side.
The only way I can give this PROBLEM some perspective is if I view it from two different angles and that's the business side and the Book Fan side.
THE BUSINESS SIDE
So, how come bookstores like Barnes and Noble are in danger of possibly going out of business? Well, the obvious fact is the rise of ONLINE SHOPPING! With online shopping becoming a thing nowadays, people are CONSTANTLY ordering books (and other items that aren't that important) from online (and at CHEAPER PRICES, you can't forget that)! I have a confession to make: I've been doing a lot of my online shopping through Amazon, because 1) it's more convenient for me since I don't have to worry about getting up to go to the bookstore, 2) because sometimes they have the books that I really wanted that the bookstores don't carry and 3) LOW PRICES!!! Even though I am curious about how far online shopping will go in the long run (will it mean that many people won't go outside to do any shopping anymore) I can understand that since online shopping is on the rise, then most bookstores could possibly go out of business in the future due to more people shopping online. However, if Barnes and Noble can focus more on their online shopping venue, then there's a chance Barnes and Noble can survive in the future. They will just have to take a different approach to this EVER-CHANGING market.
THE BOOK FAN SIDE
Now, let's talk about this situation from a book fan's perspective (and there might be a bit of some NEGATIVITY going on here). I will admit that if something did happened to Barnes and Noble or any other bookstore for that matter, then at least I have a life boat to hold onto that will allow me to get my books (through online shopping). However, even if I do online shopping, there's that TINY ITTY BITTY issue of having to wait for ETERNITY just for the books to arrive on my doorsteps. At least, if I go to the bookstore, then the books would be there right in front of me and it would only take me like A FEW SECONDS to get the books I want! Also, maybe this is me personally, but I always felt that bookstores are like the pinnacle of importance when it comes to the book community (OH! Don't worry, book blogs and book sites are also on the pinnacle of importance to the book community, especially the ONLINE book community! :D) I just feel like if we lose bookstores, then the books might lose the RESPECT they had in society (again, this sounds a little off, but that's just the inner fan in me talking).
So, what will become of bookstores in the near future? Will they still be around or (and I REALLY REALLY REALLY HATE to put it this way and I pray to the suns and moons that this will NEVER HAPPEN) be eliminated in the near future?
All in all, I just pray to the suns and moons that BOOKS will still be around in the near future. If bookstores are still around in the near future (and I hope they will be), then I will be a HAPPY CAMPER! If online shopping takes over everything in the near future and I have to shop online just to get my books, then I'll still be a HAPPY CAMPER because at least books will still be around in the near future! I just hope that one of these BUSINESSES just take good care of these books whenever they are handling them and also, try to give BOOKS a prominence in their features instead of just throwing them to the side as another product to sell to the masses.
So, what are your thoughts on all this? Do you feel as passionately as I do about the fate of bookstores or do you think that books will still be respected in society, even without bookstores?
I haven't bought books from Amazon in years because it's well-known that they sell their books at a loss. This also means they've had struggles with publishers and authors who need books to be sold at prices that will help them recover printing costs, if nothing else! I've always assumed those tempting low prices will go away once Barnes and Noble fails, though, because then Amazon will have no meaningful competition left.
ReplyDeleteBut even though we all know that Amazon is doing this, most people continue to shop on Amazon precisely because of those low prices. Barnes and Noble has been in financial trouble for years, though the massive layoffs they just had do make things look particularly grim for them. If (or when, more likely) they do go under, I think it will be partly the fault of consumers who chose to buy books for less than their worth.
This opinion hasn't been popular for me because people tell me they NEED those low prices. I get it. I don't really buy books for myself because I can't afford it. I buy books primarily as gifts and that does mean I might only be able to buy a person one gift because of the cost. However, I do feel strongly that authors should get paid for their work and that buying from Amazon only hurts the publishing industry in the long run.
I think a compromise can be buying from the Barnes and Noble website, which is more competitively priced than their stores since they know people online are comparing their selection with Amazon. They also carry more online than they do in the store. My main problem with shopping at Barnes and Noble is that they usually don't carry the titles I want.
-Krysta @ Pages Unbound
I agree with all this! I didn't think about the issues that some bookstores just don't carry the titles that you want. I also went through problems like that with some bookstores. There are some bookstores that don't sell either all hardbacks or paperbacks of the books I wanted and I have to go online to find these copies.
DeleteI agree that a compromise needs to be made between Barnes and Noble and Amazon regarding online prices so that way Barnes and Noble can still be in the game, although I worry that this means that Barnes and Noble will lose their bookstores just to compete online.
Like you, I do a lot of my shopping online---for everything. I prefer the convenience of having things delivered instead of heading out to a store, so I shop online when I can. I know a lot of people get upset about that, but online shopping is probably where the future is headed, and it makes a lot of sense---of course, those retailers who rely on their sales from stores too much will be left out in the cold.
ReplyDeleteThe one advantage to brick and mortar bookstores is that they can host author events, which is a major plus in my opinion. We have a local indie bookstore that hosts TONS of author events, and I attend many of them (and purchase the books at higher prices for the privilege of meeting those authors---it's worth it to me.)
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Oh yeah! I forgot about the author events that are usually held at bookstores! I do wonder what will become of that if bookstores close in general?
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