I can’t see any advantage to a small bookstore.
I go to large book stores for interesting magazines and to browse for “something new to read”. If I know what I want I go to Amazon and if I want an opinion on a book I find Amazon a much better source of info because the book has been rated by people who read it (very useful for “how to” books).
I dislike the large bookmarts. I can’t really put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the piles and piles of garbage best sellers, Thomas Kinkaide calendars, TV/movie tie-ins, and authors treated like brand names.
Maybe it’s the big table up front loaded with make-a-buck-books about whatever is being hyped in medialand.
Perhaps I have unrealistic and pretentious ideas of how art and commerce ought to work, and these ideas in no way resemble what goes on in the big box book barn.
Possibly I worry for no reason about good books going out-of-print because more and more bookselling is only about which book sells. Or that the free spread of ideas is somehow limited when the independent bookstore goes out of business-- despite the admittedly larger selection of books in the Stadium Stores.
We used to have a fine bookstore called The Book Gallery here in Charlottesville VA that carried some fairly radical books and zines. B&N came along almost next door and that store quickly away. I miss it.
I know I don’t like the overall feeling inside the B&N, even though I find myself visiting there every few weeks. Can’t put my finger on it.
I am unsatisfied and depressed by B&N, and yet I continue to go there. Perhaps that’s the real reason I dislike it so.
I don’t think the chains are buying up independent bookstores. And although I’ve heard people say that they sometimes deliberately target a bookstore and try to drive it out of business, I don’t know if that’s true. However, I believe it’s generally recognized that as the chains become larger, more and more independents are going out of business. (I don’t think this is disputed, although I can go find a cite if you want.) Most big cities do indeed continue to have independent stores (although fewer than they did–here in New York we’ve lost many that had been around for years). But away from the big cultural centers, there are lots of towns and suburbs that have only chains. That’s why I quoted those market share statistics. If the percentage of books sold by chains gets high enough–and I don’t know how high that would be-- the few remaining independents won’t be enough to make a book profitable if the chains refuse to sell it or just aren’t interested in it–so the publishers won’t publish it.
I am, of course, basing this on the idea that purchasing decisions for the entire chain are made by a central buyer. If I’m wrong about that, and individual stores in the chain are free to make their own decisions about what to stock, then the veto power of the chains would be much less.
I’m not sure what bestsellers have to do with the issue. Everyone, chain or independent is going to stock them; as you say, that’s how we all make our money, and I would say anything that helps independent bookstores stay in business is a good thing.
Bookseller at an independent chiming in…
It’s not that chains are buying up independents (though Library Limited here in St louis was bought out by Borders (or B&N). It’s that they come in, close by, then they buy huge quantities from the publisher, so they get discounts unlike anything independents can get and then they can pass that discount on to the customer. Thus, the perception that independent bookstores sell more expensive books, when it’s really just a reflection of the breaks that the chains get from publishers.
As for the op…I think it all depends on reading the customer. I can tell if someone is looking for something particular…there’s a particular expression they get on their face, because they’re looking for it but they haven’t yet decided to ask me. Occasionally I’ll ask someone who doesn’t have the expression whether they need help, but generally I just let them browse. I never NEVER follow people around and bother them unless they’ve asked for help. Some people really like me to basically recommend a stack of books and spend time with them - it’s the reason they came to the indy instead of the chain. At the register, as someone mentioned, I will make small talk, but you can tell really quickly if someone doesn’t want to talk so I don’t press.
People don’t come to an indy just for the book and that’s it. They come for the book, the good service (and GOOD doesn’t mean overbearing, it sometimes means not bothering people), and the intelligent staff.
I’m not saying the chains don’t necessarily always have good service. I don’t know, I don’t shop there anymore. But I can’t even count on the fingers of my hands how many times people come in and say something like “I heard this book described on NPR and this is what it was about” and we can usually find it. We know our books and people often tell us that they knew they should come to Left Bank because they knew we’d be able to find the books they were looking for. We have personal service. We read the books we sell. Period.
Actually, there aren’t plenty of independent bookstore - I work at the only one left in St Louis (I’m speaking of general bookstores here, not the specialized ones like used or mystery bookstores). To survive through the 90s, the owners actually had to go without a paycheck for several years just to make ends meet.
Now, one of the Barnes and Noble nearby has targetted us…one of our niches is Gay and Lesbian books and we have several reading groups. They’ve just decided to start one up as well.
You’re right that the big sellers are the bread and butter for us as well as for the chains. Our biggest bills are from our distributors and from Random House, Penguin Putnam, Simon & Schuster and Harpercollins (among others).
But I just want to reiterate…some people are saying the independents are doing fine - it is seriously difficult for us to make ends meet. If I could show you my boss who practically tears his hair out every month trying to decide which bills to pay and which he can leave overdue without a hold put on our account, I would. We only get paid $6 an hour - so frankly, you know that we’re there because we love books, not because of a paycheck.
Do you know how many independent publishers went out of business when the chains came to power? I don’t have a number, but let’s just say it was A LOT! What the chains do is that they order 200 or 500 of a book and then end up returning all but the ten that sold, which hurts the small publisher who then has to refund them that money.
I think it’s wonderful that that independent is still thriving. There are a lot of wonderful bookstores with great service (i.e. not crappy independents) who have died because of the fierce competition brought in by Borders and Barnes & Noble. Sure, some of the ones who have died have been crappy, but some have died because of the lower prices B&N can offer and the breaks from the publishers the chains get. That forms a stiff competition and you have to get creative in how to beat that.
Once again the differences between small towns and big cities become apparent. Without the megabookstore, Books-A-Million, in town, I’d have no access to a decent selection of books and magazines. There never has been an independent bookstore or newstand in Texarkana that would carry The Advocate in their magazines selection nor Michael Thomas Ford books. Thanks to the megastore, I can get that here. Although the selection is not as big as Amazon.com, it’s still much larger than what I would get otherwise, whether it’s the niche I mentioned already or general interest books. Books-A-Million has more books in it’s Sci-Fi section than any independent here had in it’s entire inventory.
First and foremost, I like amazon.com… as far as I can tell, they have zero politics and will attempt to get anything they possibly can. With the zAuction shops you can even find some titles that are out of print that people are willing to unload. I think that’s sweet.
It doesn’t work for everything, though. When I’m looking for a programming book (I’m self-teaching and pretty beginner-ish) all the reviews in the world won’t help me, I have to look at the book itself. Going by amazon reviews, I’d have purchased (for example) C++ Primer Plus a while ago, but when I was at Borders looking it over I saw that it didn’t immediately offer me more than I already had in two other works. That’s $50 that Borders saved me by having the title in stock.
It seems to me that the issues people touched on here are all quite valid. A large chain gets better prices from publishers and other distributors, where the small guy really doesn’t. But the small guy is only limited by his own capacity to keep the store running; I don’t believe larger booksellers’ managers necessarily have the options available to stock the shelves the way they might like to (frankly, I don’t know, but I doubt they have all the choices available that an indie has). This means independent booksellers might be more niche markets than chains, which is what we would expect. Movie theaters have gone this route, for sure. There’s a shop, I believe it is in San Diego area, that caters pretty much exclusively to the horror and sci-fi crowd. You won’t find anything by Sartre there, but if you need any Heinlen or Matheson you won’t miss a thing.
The problem is, there is a nearly universal demand for books, but to support niche markets the population center has to be pretty large. The alternative is for chains to allow much more flexibility in profit margins and things to stock, but this starts to cut into what makes them such a valuable resource in the first place: their large buying power.
So in short, I don’t think large chains can cut down indie booksellers where there is a desire for indie booksellers and niche markets. Niche markets is likely where indie booksellers will need to shift to in order to remain viable, provided there is a large enough base. No one can be everything to everyone, so they need to recognize what their strengths are and stick to that.
Amazon can’t put Borders out of business, and I don’t think Borders can put indie bookstores out of business, assuming all parties recognize the market they can serve and reamin viable.
This debate is not dissimilar to the cry I recall hearing when chain convenient stores starting taking over towns, or when Wal Mart or K Mart would come in and decimate local businesses. The perception was that these giants were crushing juggernauts. But I still see many indie convenient stores.
I think the mantra here is “No one can be all things to all people in a given market”.
When I lived in Louisiana, we had to drive 50 miles to get to a decent bookstore. B. Dalton coming to the local mall was wonderful. Now that I’m in a civilized place 
I like both. Independents have a higher density of interesting books, and have some that the majors might not carry. The majors have a better selection.
I go to a writer’s critique group at our local B&N, so I’ve known their last four event managers. They are more worried about the new Borders down the street than independents. They also do a lot to get people in the store, like writing contests, etc. (So do some independents, but these stores are closer.) They also provide some nice support for fundraisers.
One interesting point - the chains are not allowed to carry self-published or e-published books. I know most of them are pretty bad, but if an independent found one of local interest, it might be an area of advantage.
For me, I’ll go into any bookstore (think alcoholic and bar). I’ll buy something from an independent if I can find a book I don’t think I’d find just anywhere.
The Atlantic Monthly ran an interesting article about chain bookstores a couple of years ago. Brooke Allen argues that, as the article’s subhead says, “Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-A-Million have enormously enriched the nation’s cultural life.”
I’m not 100% sold on every idea in the article, but after I read it I stopped feeling guilty about indulging in 30% B&N discounts on the sly.
I do think UnuMondo makes a valuable distinction between large chains with a lot of selection, like B&N or Borders, and mall bookstores like Waldenbooks that, frankly, suck unless you want to read one of the top 50 books in the country right now.
Personally, when there’s a price advantage, I buy from a chain with no qualms. I don’t just perceive that some books are cheaper at Barnes & Noble – I spend less actual money to receive the same book.
On the other hand, places like Elliott Bay, Powell’s and (my favorite locally) Cinema Books often have, on their shelves, books that I wouldn’t have found at B&N.
So my money goes to both kinds of stores. Complaints like lissener’s – that selection will inevitably decrease – make sense to me on one level. But why should I be expected to pay more for my copy of Harry Potter to increase lissener’s chances of finding something from, say, Down the Shore Publishing Corp.?
Of course, most of the books I read come from the library, which is yet another kettle of fish…
Have I stumbled across another member of Mr. Robinsons extended family?
BIC SBF127
Let me put it this way…if there were an independent bookstore in Hawaii that offered This Modern World or Dykes To Watch Out For, I’d gladly patronize it. Unfortunately, neither Hakubundo (a Japanese bookstore) nor any of the, uh, hard-line Christian places seem interested in unconventional political viewpoints or lesbians. So Borders it is. And just for a little more perspective, the one mainstream local chain, Honolulu Bookstore, went out of business long before Borders Books and Music made it to the 50th state.
When it comes to selection, variety, and, oh yes, cost, nothing else comes close. The argument that “they don’t stock unusual books” doesn’t really hold much weight here, as this has always been the domain of specialty stores. I’ll gladly accept the opportunity to find classic literature, a gaming guide, some specialty magazines, and maybe a bestseller or two in one trip.
While I don’t agree with everything they’ve done, right now I can’t imagine being without them.
???
I’ve never been bothered in little bookstores. I’ve found knowledgable employees in big bookstores (and idiot who were barely literate - especially during the labor crunch of the late 90s), and less than knowledgable employees in independants.
I like independants for what they stand for - some guy making a living off a love of books. But they work best when they have a niche. Here in the Twin Cities, I frequent Ruminator (i.e. Hungry Mind), Red Balloon, and Uncle Hugos (ok frequent Hugo’s is a misnomer, I don’t read much SF - but my husband does, so I end up there a few times a year). Hugo’s sells SF/Fantasy. The attached Uncle Edgars specializes in Mystery. Red Balloon is children’s. And Ruminator makes its profit selling textbooks to Macalister students - and happens to have a nice independant bookstore business that possibly wouldn’t be supporatable with the college.
But none of these are convienent places to shop. I have a small Barnes and Noble within two miles of home. A big Borders within four. A big Barnes and Noble within a mile of work. And an always on internet connection with access to Amazon, which will drop their books off at my door.
Speaking of Amazon, the Twin Cities has (or had, they were having trouble last I heard and may have gone under) a feminist bookstore of the same name. It was a great bookstore, but their staff was downright surly to anyone that didn’t look like they shared their politics/sexual preference or gender. I bought a few things from them, but always had mixed feelings doing so, since the moment I walked in I felt branded as a “gender traitor” (I dress too conservatively for the radical left).
I go to each of the different booksellers for different reasons. I go to B&N because they’re less expensive than the typical independents here, and yes, when it comes to my reading material, I buy a lot and it helps me to save a dollar or two on each book I buy. I love to read and read at least one book a day. So that dollar adds up for me.
I go to the sci-fi/fantasy bookstore for the atmosphere. I don’t read much sci-fi, but I love the atmosphere there. They have a cute cat who’ll come keep me company if I’m in one of their chairs reading, and the staff is always knowledgable and friendly. But they don’t carry everything I read.
And I go to the secondhand bookstore because the woman there knows me and knows my fascination with Tudor history, Virginia history, and WWII era history. When I step in, she immediately shows me her recommendations and it’s nice to know that she’s been saving them for me. But she doesn’t carry the new literature I enjoy. I have to go somewhere for that.
And Amazon.com is good for the obscure stuff I can’t find anywhere else. I read a lot of fiction by unknown women authors and try as they might, B&N just doesn’t stock all of it. With Amazon, I can find it, order it for an inexpensive price, and have it within a week.
If I could get all of this combined into one bookstore, I would be a happy, happy girl.
Ava
Wondering if you happened to be employed by some division/subsidiary of the same NYC based major publisher of childrens book I work for.
As far as the OP goes, I’ve never felt uncomfortable in a particular bookstore (except that time a recent ex was working in one). I go in, I browse, I come out later to find that some large amount of time has vanished in the outside world while I looked at a few books and maybe bought a couple of them. There must have been someone working in there, because I did pay – I can tell by the receipt…
I’d like to expand on this: Small publishers usually do the smallest print run that is economically feasible for them – like most things, printing is cheaper in larger quantities. What often happens is that the order from the bookstore chain is so large that the publisher has to do another print run in order to be able to supply smaller booksellers with copies of a book.
So the publisher’s printing costs double because of the second print run. And then they get hit with the returns from the chain, pay out the refund, and store the books (eat the loss) because they’ve already supplied the rest of their market.
Me, I mostly avoid Chapters and Indigo these days although I have to say that they do have a very wide selection of books on their shelves which I have to order, wait for and pay more for at one of the two independent bookstores (there are also two used bookstores) left in my town.
I’m torn, though, because one of the head honchos at Chapters took a liking to my second book and ordered it to be put on prominent display in the poetry section of every one of their Canadian stores – which is kind of cool. This, of course, led to a second printing having to be done. Now, I haven’t heard yet how many copies were actually sold as a result, or whether my publisher took a financial hit because of copies were eventually returned – because my ego hasn’t allowed me to ask. I guess I’ll find out on the next royalty statement (if there’s a check in the envelope, it’ll mean I’ve paid back the advance and made a little gravy).
What really, really bugs me is that in this town I can no longer buy a copy of Baseball America anywhere. Damnit.
They sell something besides tole instructions and Norwegian cookbooks? The town’s changed, I guess. 
You live in Poulsbo? So does my brother! You two probably wouldn’t get along–I count my blessings that there’re 2000 miles separating us. 
As to the OP, most of the indies were gone from my surrounding suburbs years before Borders and B&N moved in next to each other and none of them have closed since. For years, maybe decades, we only had Dalton’s and Walden’s and a few dispersed indies. The big chains were like a breath of fresh air.
I just want to say thanks to Interrobang!? for that link, cause I’m writing an essay at the moment about the impact of globalisation on corporate censorship (if such a thing exists, what forms people claim it takes like publishing of books, newspapers, television news, the whole shebang).
I’m going to get out ‘The business of books : how international conglomerates took over publishing and changed the way we read’ by André Schiffrin tomorrow, to see if I really agree with the author of the article.