I was working at BN when the changeover happened and I can say that before that, BN was following every retail playbook on what to do when you'll probably close up and go bankrupt. Daunt came along and said, NO, we're not doing THAT (one of BNs biggest mistakes was having employees become shills for memberships. And they were selling absolute CRAP that wasn't book related at all).
When The Bug from Hell had me loose my job there in 2020, part of me was sorry to go because while I was burnt out on the retail part, I miss the books. I miss talking about books, I miss shelving new books.
Thank you for sharing that perspective, Kim! I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your job because of that. I've always thought working there would be a fun experience, but can see how one might get burnt out with retail work. I remember that time, though, it was becoming a random merch store with toys everywhere. So glad the changes were made!
The biggest bookseller in my home town has been operating like this for a long time and has made themselves a major influence on sales and distribution in this area. This in spite of the presence of the largest bookstore chain in Canada elsewhere....
That's such great news! I love bookshops' flexibility in catering to their customers and having their own identity in the market. It's reassurance that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
The energy in every Barnes & Noble I’ve been to in recent years has been so exciting, it feels like everyone is a kid and that the bookstore itself is being curated for every kind of consumer. As a parent I’ve found more kid-friendly activities and sections they host, as a reader I’m LOVING the employee recommendations, which is arguably one the best innovations they’ve borrowed from the indie model. It kinda feels like, even though they’re still a major corporation, B&N has joined the war against Amazon with the indies, which I’m all for.
I agree with all of this, Sean! It does have a wonderful energy. It’s just a fun place to be. And you make a good point about them joining together with indies against Amazon. I even read they were buying up locations that had once been Amazon bookstores, which is pretty epic. Thanks for commenting!
This is really interesting. I had heard a while back that B&N got new leadership but I haven't been inside one in years. I'll definitely have to check it out. But I think it's interesting that "experts" are pronouncing reading and books dead while indie bookshops and even corporate giants like B&N are growing. Even my little rural town is getting a new cafe book shop soon (which I'm very excited about!). Is it willful ignorance, or do indies and their readers just not count in their equations?
It's awesome that your town is getting a new cafe bookshop! I love them so much. You'll have to share pics of it once it opens. As for the "experts," I think it's mostly clickbait titles trying to get more attention than an actual pronouncement of fact. From what I saw, their claims were based on surveys of readers saying that they read fewer books for pleasure, while book buying is generally on the rise. I do find myself buying more books a year than I can read, so I wonder if it's something like that. But I guarantee they aren't factoring in a lot of things, such as Substack reading or any online fiction site. The industry seems to be thriving despite recent claims otherwise.
That makes a lot of sense. I'm also guilty of optimistic book buying ;-) And, yeah, just because the books are in a different format or found in a different venue, it doesn't mean people aren't reading them! I've read probably hundreds of stories this year and I don't think I've cracked a single "book." Not that I'm giving up on physical books yet... I'll definitely share some pics of the bookshop!
Those new bookstore stats are enlightening!!! I live in Portland where there's a bookstore on every corner and reading is still The Thing. We have Powell's, which is incredible. Maybe some part of the culture is shifting away from the AI/iPhone/social media arena and back to a human-style sort of 1970s landscape. I hope so, because the TikTok-sphere depresses me. Gen Z especially needs to get back to reading, and not just fun books but serious literature. There's a reason the classics have been read for generations; they are universal. They tell us something fundamental about the human experience.
I can see one in Cheshire and one in Manchester, but that's it for the North West. I think I just live somewhere that doesn't receive a lot of investment. Each one of those are at least an hour away. They've also included Ireland in their list, which is misleading.
Ah, that's tough. There are 4 indie bookshops within 30 mins of me. All of them are very supportive of the local writing community and combine bookselling with fostering new writers. Nurturing relationships with shop owners is a useful string for any writer's bow.
Just heard presentations in a graduate course about BookTok and Celebrity Book Clubs. From what they were saying, yes, there is the typical vanity associated with these types of image-based campaigns. But so far, it seems they are actually good things? They cited research about these book trends boosting not only raw book sales, but in-person book clubs, indie store sales, and overall library engagement. And so far, it's not too perverse with the financial incentives.
Hey Timothy, thanks for commenting. What a cool presentation! Book sales have gone through the roof due to these trends. It's pretty incredible. I'm all for growth in this area because any sale fuels the market and economy and ultimately helps indie authors and stores. The downside that some have been discussing in terms of its being negative seems to be that certain books are being overhyped, thus causing skepticism about future book recommendations. However, I agree that it appears to be a net positive for the industry, especially for bookstores like Barnes, as their exclusive editions are some of my favorites.
Great article Winston! I plan on getting involved with my local bookstore after the new year. Already talked to them about setting up a in-store signing. This article gives me hope that people will get back into owning their physical copies of a book again.
And am I the only one who re-reads their library? lol.
Daunt taking over Barnes and Noble saved physical bookstores in America! I'm very happy about that. Growing up, B&N was seen as the enemy of indie bookshops. Then Borders closed, which was the hangout spot for us high-schoolers. Amazon rose. And B&N seemed like better than nothing. Of course, now the energy in B&N stores is so much more fun, and I love that they're even allowed names other than Barnes and Noble. Definitely indie-bookstore-feel.
I tried to get our local bookstore (run as more of a hobby by a couple of local doctors) to carry my books. Got no response. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. They only display books supplied by Ingram Sparks. So how do the rest of us get on shelves. Thankfully, the local library promotes us local authors (and there's a bunch of us). Sad that the bookstore has to be so snooty.
Thank goodness for local libraries! That reminds me that I need to get a new library card. I'm sorry that the bookstore was difficult for you. I've been trying to get into indie bookstores for a while, and it's not easy.
I was working at BN when the changeover happened and I can say that before that, BN was following every retail playbook on what to do when you'll probably close up and go bankrupt. Daunt came along and said, NO, we're not doing THAT (one of BNs biggest mistakes was having employees become shills for memberships. And they were selling absolute CRAP that wasn't book related at all).
When The Bug from Hell had me loose my job there in 2020, part of me was sorry to go because while I was burnt out on the retail part, I miss the books. I miss talking about books, I miss shelving new books.
Thank you for sharing that perspective, Kim! I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your job because of that. I've always thought working there would be a fun experience, but can see how one might get burnt out with retail work. I remember that time, though, it was becoming a random merch store with toys everywhere. So glad the changes were made!
I spent almost 30 years in retail. I should have gotten out A LOT sooner, like after I left Bloomingdale's in 2011 sooner.
The biggest bookseller in my home town has been operating like this for a long time and has made themselves a major influence on sales and distribution in this area. This in spite of the presence of the largest bookstore chain in Canada elsewhere....
That's such great news! I love bookshops' flexibility in catering to their customers and having their own identity in the market. It's reassurance that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
That's good to hear!!
The energy in every Barnes & Noble I’ve been to in recent years has been so exciting, it feels like everyone is a kid and that the bookstore itself is being curated for every kind of consumer. As a parent I’ve found more kid-friendly activities and sections they host, as a reader I’m LOVING the employee recommendations, which is arguably one the best innovations they’ve borrowed from the indie model. It kinda feels like, even though they’re still a major corporation, B&N has joined the war against Amazon with the indies, which I’m all for.
I agree with all of this, Sean! It does have a wonderful energy. It’s just a fun place to be. And you make a good point about them joining together with indies against Amazon. I even read they were buying up locations that had once been Amazon bookstores, which is pretty epic. Thanks for commenting!
This is really interesting. I had heard a while back that B&N got new leadership but I haven't been inside one in years. I'll definitely have to check it out. But I think it's interesting that "experts" are pronouncing reading and books dead while indie bookshops and even corporate giants like B&N are growing. Even my little rural town is getting a new cafe book shop soon (which I'm very excited about!). Is it willful ignorance, or do indies and their readers just not count in their equations?
It's awesome that your town is getting a new cafe bookshop! I love them so much. You'll have to share pics of it once it opens. As for the "experts," I think it's mostly clickbait titles trying to get more attention than an actual pronouncement of fact. From what I saw, their claims were based on surveys of readers saying that they read fewer books for pleasure, while book buying is generally on the rise. I do find myself buying more books a year than I can read, so I wonder if it's something like that. But I guarantee they aren't factoring in a lot of things, such as Substack reading or any online fiction site. The industry seems to be thriving despite recent claims otherwise.
That makes a lot of sense. I'm also guilty of optimistic book buying ;-) And, yeah, just because the books are in a different format or found in a different venue, it doesn't mean people aren't reading them! I've read probably hundreds of stories this year and I don't think I've cracked a single "book." Not that I'm giving up on physical books yet... I'll definitely share some pics of the bookshop!
Good point. Long live the indies!
Those new bookstore stats are enlightening!!! I live in Portland where there's a bookstore on every corner and reading is still The Thing. We have Powell's, which is incredible. Maybe some part of the culture is shifting away from the AI/iPhone/social media arena and back to a human-style sort of 1970s landscape. I hope so, because the TikTok-sphere depresses me. Gen Z especially needs to get back to reading, and not just fun books but serious literature. There's a reason the classics have been read for generations; they are universal. They tell us something fundamental about the human experience.
I'm glad it's working out for the US. Bookshops are not popping up like daisies here in the UK. B&N sounds great!
UK indies are indeed increasing in number! :
"... the number of independent bookshops in BA membership at the end of 2022 grew to 1072 shops, up from 1027 in 2021, and the lowest point of 867 in 2016. This marks the highest number of independent bookshops in BA membership in 10 years." https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/latestnews/Independent-Bookshop-Numbers-Continue-to-Grow-Agai
I can see one in Cheshire and one in Manchester, but that's it for the North West. I think I just live somewhere that doesn't receive a lot of investment. Each one of those are at least an hour away. They've also included Ireland in their list, which is misleading.
Ah, that's tough. There are 4 indie bookshops within 30 mins of me. All of them are very supportive of the local writing community and combine bookselling with fostering new writers. Nurturing relationships with shop owners is a useful string for any writer's bow.
Ahh you're so lucky! Enjoy it.
Just heard presentations in a graduate course about BookTok and Celebrity Book Clubs. From what they were saying, yes, there is the typical vanity associated with these types of image-based campaigns. But so far, it seems they are actually good things? They cited research about these book trends boosting not only raw book sales, but in-person book clubs, indie store sales, and overall library engagement. And so far, it's not too perverse with the financial incentives.
Hey Timothy, thanks for commenting. What a cool presentation! Book sales have gone through the roof due to these trends. It's pretty incredible. I'm all for growth in this area because any sale fuels the market and economy and ultimately helps indie authors and stores. The downside that some have been discussing in terms of its being negative seems to be that certain books are being overhyped, thus causing skepticism about future book recommendations. However, I agree that it appears to be a net positive for the industry, especially for bookstores like Barnes, as their exclusive editions are some of my favorites.
Great article Winston! I plan on getting involved with my local bookstore after the new year. Already talked to them about setting up a in-store signing. This article gives me hope that people will get back into owning their physical copies of a book again.
And am I the only one who re-reads their library? lol.
Daunt taking over Barnes and Noble saved physical bookstores in America! I'm very happy about that. Growing up, B&N was seen as the enemy of indie bookshops. Then Borders closed, which was the hangout spot for us high-schoolers. Amazon rose. And B&N seemed like better than nothing. Of course, now the energy in B&N stores is so much more fun, and I love that they're even allowed names other than Barnes and Noble. Definitely indie-bookstore-feel.
I tried to get our local bookstore (run as more of a hobby by a couple of local doctors) to carry my books. Got no response. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. They only display books supplied by Ingram Sparks. So how do the rest of us get on shelves. Thankfully, the local library promotes us local authors (and there's a bunch of us). Sad that the bookstore has to be so snooty.
Thank goodness for local libraries! That reminds me that I need to get a new library card. I'm sorry that the bookstore was difficult for you. I've been trying to get into indie bookstores for a while, and it's not easy.