Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Up to a third of Barnes & Noble stores to close, report says
LA Times ^ | 1/28/13 | Tiffany Hsu

Posted on 01/28/2013 11:51:11 AM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 next last
To: CatherineofAragon

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


21 posted on 01/28/2013 12:51:17 PM PST by stuartcr ("I upraded my moral compass to a GPS, to keep up with the times.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: re_nortex
The real problem is one of socialism. Government-run, taxpayer-supported public libraries prevent private business from operating bookstores and newsstands at a profit. A subsidized industry has a built-in advantage over entrepreneurship every time.

I hope you're kidding. I don't think B&N (and Border's before it, and every other bookstore and bookstore chain) is having trouble competing with the public library. Public libraries have existed throughout the entirety of B&N's existence, and B&N was flourishing until Amazon (and the Kindle) came along and was able to undercut B&N on price. Blaming B&N's troubles on the public library is absurd.

22 posted on 01/28/2013 12:53:24 PM PST by Conscience of a Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

It’s a commie store so who cares? Everytime I go into ours the Beck books are behind the Lib books. The people that work there are all left wing nut jobs. Let ‘em close.


23 posted on 01/28/2013 12:54:46 PM PST by albie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

I remember from 2 or 3 years back that Barnes and Noble was investing in “ON-Demand” book printing. They were going to maintain a massive digital library of books and whenever someone wanted a hard copy, they would just use their print and bind machine to make a single copy. A typical 300 or 400 page book would take about 5 minutes to be printed and bound and would sell for about $15.

What happened to this technology?
It seemed great.


24 posted on 01/28/2013 1:02:20 PM PST by BuffaloJack (Children, pets, and slaves get taken care of. Free Men take care of themselves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kosciusko51
I don’t have a digital reader. I prefer books, too. I don’t have a digital reader. I prefer books, too.

I used to think that as well, but since I got the Kindle app on my smart phone I'm finding I prefer reading books on my phone. I read a lot and it's a lot easier to carry around a smart phone than a book. Also allows me to easily read a bit when I have short breaks in my working day.

25 posted on 01/28/2013 1:03:40 PM PST by 6ppc (It's torch and pitchfork time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

“I prefer old fashioned book”

I agree. I’ve got a kindle. I am pretty happy with it - it is great for travel, and if I can find the kindle it is easy to find the books. Also, there is so much great stuff in the public domain now, so free downloads.

That said, there is nothing like an honest, for real old book - hard cover with heavy stock paper. And I will NEVER lose the rush of entering a used book store and getting that wonderful musk of old paper, glue and leather.

But I do enjoy my kindle. It augments books, but does not replace them.


26 posted on 01/28/2013 1:05:05 PM PST by Psalm 144 (Capitol to the districts: "May the odds be ever in your favor.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

Barnes and Noble are going to close a third of their stores? I hope the other 50% will be OK.


27 posted on 01/28/2013 1:06:28 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Aw, I guess Obamugabe will have to find another place to do a book signing.

28 posted on 01/28/2013 1:06:32 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
I wanted to give John Mackey's (the vegetarian libertarian CEO of Whole Foods) new book to my daughter (vegetarian, but gainfully employed and paying taxes, so there is hope!) I stopped by B&N this weekend so I would be sure to have it when I saw her. B&N lists the book for $17.30 on their website. Fortunately, I asked the price before I handed over my credit card -- they were asking $27, full price for the book, in the store!

$9.70 plus tax plus my gasoline plus my time so I can wait in line to have a fat, surly, underemployed Obama voting lib put it in a bag for me?

I walked out, and ordered the book from Amazon.

I'm amazed that they only expect one third of the brick and mortar stores to close.

29 posted on 01/28/2013 1:18:41 PM PST by Sooth2222 ("Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." M.Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kosciusko51

I prefer books too. I have an Ipad but I don’t use it for books. I did try one once, but it just doesn’t work for me. By the way, if you have friends that are readers, I don’t think you can trade ebooks. That really bothers me because we do trade books. Maybe some can but I haven’t found a way to do it. I do try to buy most of my books at the bookstore because I want to support them. A bookstore is a great community.


30 posted on 01/28/2013 1:19:42 PM PST by pjpblush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
I buy most of my technical books as e-books in PDF or epub formats. My Android cell phone, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Nexus 10 can share that library. I can have all my books with me at all times. My physical book case at my San Diego rental room is 7 feet tall with 6 shelves that are 4 feet wide. Totally full. I'm out of space. I have 10 more book cases similarly filled in the library at my home in Idaho. I love my physical books, but they really take some space.
31 posted on 01/28/2013 1:31:19 PM PST by Myrddin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JenB

Perhaps I should have said the published author would work as a screen instead of an editor, to at least cull the bulk of the crapola.

I used to enjoy the ‘writings from the slush pile’ that was published in the old National Lampoon magazine. Though he did it anonymously, I recognized the collection as coming from Ben Bova, when he was editing Analog.


32 posted on 01/28/2013 1:39:57 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Best WoT news at rantburg.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Yes, crowdsourcing the slush pile could work (my understanding is most books can be rejected based on their first page). That said, I’m not sure it would do anything to actually help B&N. Amazon has various ways of trying to milk the “want to be author” crowd for their own benefit, like Amazon’s Kindle Digital program. Getting your book on the store shelf is great and would be an attractor over using Amazon. But I’m not really sure there’s that many really great books that aren’t getting attention from publishers. Publishing a book has a lot of costs (the paper and ink are among the least of them) and B&N doesn’t really have any of the infrastructure in place to do so.


33 posted on 01/28/2013 2:05:36 PM PST by JenB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

Type slower, I can’t understand you.


34 posted on 01/28/2013 2:09:07 PM PST by STD ( People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face' but none of us can see theirs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

Type slower, I can’t understand you.


35 posted on 01/28/2013 2:09:28 PM PST by STD ( People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face' but none of us can see theirs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

Type slower, I can’t understand you.


36 posted on 01/28/2013 2:09:37 PM PST by STD ( People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face' but none of us can see theirs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

Type slower, I can’t understand you.


37 posted on 01/28/2013 2:09:37 PM PST by STD ( People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face' but none of us can see theirs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

Type slower, I can’t understand you.


38 posted on 01/28/2013 2:09:37 PM PST by STD ( People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face' but none of us can see theirs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

A lot of unemployed liberals. Sniff.


39 posted on 01/28/2013 2:11:54 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

I can see people trying to absorb the Bible on an electronic reader Kindle or otherwise. It won’t happen, not in depth. Plus you cannot annotate pages. Reading words on paper is much better than any electronic screen. Too bad the younger generations will not know the difference


40 posted on 01/28/2013 2:15:55 PM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson