The Death of the Bookstore

[terry78]

A while back I knew a lot of the Barnes and Noble and Borders bookstores around the area were closing up shop, but there is one Borders near my place that said they weren't going to be assigned the same fate as the others. I went by there earlier and I see a massive "going out of business" sign on top of the marquee. Basically in present day most people read via the net or downloadables, but I confess I miss the opportunity to just go into one of the places and chill, where you don't have the Stalin-esque demeanor of a library and can still have the freedom to discuss random books, from comics to novels. RIP, bookstores.

 

[Motown Marvel]

i dont think this will be the death of bookstores. but possibly large chain bookstores. but i hope barnes and noble stays afloat.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

All of them are closing in my area as well.

 

[Kane52630]

I still have a couple around my area. There's one right next to a movie theater that I go to and it's 2 floors big.

 

[PyroChamber]

The Borders I go to was my hangout spot; now it's going to be gone by September. Now I need to find a new place to hang, especially if you want to get some books.

 

[Erzengel]

It's opposite in Jersey. All the Borders are closing up and the Barnes and Nobles are all still open.

Oh and I bought my fiance a Kindle.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

all borders are closing, it was announced last week. They couldn't find a new investor so they had to liquidate

 

[Master Chief]

I still have a couple around my area. There's one right next to a movie theater that I go to and it's 2 floors big.

lol do you live in Toronto?

anyways there are a bunch of bookstores downtown and stuff, I don't see them going out of business anytime soon.

 

[Sentinel X]

all borders are closing, it was announced last week. They couldn't find a new investor so they had to liquidate

Oh nooooo!!!

I love borders. I'm going to miss it so much. I wish people would read more.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

The problem is people go there to hang out, but no one wants to pay full price for books. I totally understand since I'm the first person to buy something off amazon instead of my local borders. A few months ago I decided that I do enjoy just hanging out at these stores so I decided to buy a book here and there for full price but alas, the book store is a dying breed.

 

[Bat-Mite]

I don't read books via Kindle or any other electronic device, but I do buy my books from Amazon. With Amazon Prime, it's just a lot cheaper to get the books I want from there than Books-A-Million or Hastings, which are the only two book stores still around these parts. There's just no sense in going to BAM and paying nearly twice as much for a book than you'd pay on Amazon (and that's WITH the discount card). Someone gave me a $20 BAM gift card for Christmas last year and I used it to buy ONE paperback book, and it cost $17. I looked up that same book on Amazon just now and it's $8.76. This is why they're the ones getting my business and not BAM.

 

[Sentinel X]

The problem is people go there to hang out, but no one wants to pay full price for books. I totally understand since I'm the first person to buy something off amazon instead of my local borders. A few months ago I decided that I do enjoy just hanging out at these stores so I decided to buy a book here and there for full price but alas, the book store is a dying breed.

This is actually the problem. If you go to hang out and enjoy yourself at a bookstore, you should be willing to buy a book every now and then. If you don't want a book then fine....get a coffee or pastry at their cafe. If the bookstores aren't getting money they can't stay open unfortunately and in all honesty its not a library, so its cool when bookstores do make it comfortable for you during your stay.

Although I've noticed that barnes and nobles has taken away their comfy sofas and lazyboy chairs

 

[bullets]

I hope Barnes and Noble stays open. I've only shopped there for criterion blu rays and magazines as of late though. I do mos of my book shopping on Amazon but I like the tangible experience of shopping in a bookstore.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

all borders are closing, it was announced last week. They couldn't find a new investor so they had to liquidate

Yeah I got an email about it last week, since I was part of their rewards program. I think they opened too many stores actually and all those stores were huge. I did support Borders though, never bought books on Amazon, I always bought from the store, I'm just not a fan of shipping, I'd rather just pay for it and have it in my hands instantly.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

I'm sorry, but as a retailer, you just can't expect people to pay those prices. I walked into a barnes & noble last week and the entire home media section was priced at the MSRP. There's no way I or any human being will pay $40 for just a DVD. I work for a furniture store and I've seen it happen. When you offer that extra 10% discount, you write more business in one day than you will in a week.

 

[Kelly]

Barnes and Nobles around here along with 1/2 Price Books etc...are doing fine. I think it was bad management more than Kindles and Nooks, but I do have to admit, I LOVE MY KINDLE....and Amazon. I still buy a lot of books from 1/2 Price Books though for my classroom.

 

[Schlosser85]

The Borders at my mall has all books on sale and fixtures going on sale soon.

I loved it there...

 

[Warhammer]

Time to stock up on some amazing deals.

 

[Manic]

There was a Borders near my local movie theatre. I would buy a movie ticket, go to Borders until my movie starts, and then run back to the theatre.

That Borders closed a few months ago. My emails started redirecting me to a Borders 3 cities away. Now all of them are gone.

I used to actually buy books from them, too. I only ever bought trade paperback comics from Amazon if I couldn't find them in stores (seriously, NOBODY else carried any trades from Virgin Comics-- even when they still existed).

 

[terry78]

They're going the route of the music store. FYE still has a couple spots open in this area that I go to, but they're slowly becoming more of a Spencer's Gifts type place that just happens to sell CD's and DVD's.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Yeah, it sucks. Where am I gonna find my cute bookworm girls now?

 

[8wid]

This is why I'm telling all graphic designs and illustrators wanting to work in publishing to beary and cautious about this changing industry.

 

[Kane52630]

Yeah, it sucks. Where am I gonna find my cute bookworm girls now?

College libraries.

 

[terry78]

College libraries.

College girls that actually read are a little too savvy, you can't sweet talk them. Gotta use some intellectual wit to get them up in the bed.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

I loved going to the Borders I went to almost every weekend but that one closed years ago. Now the only local major bookstore next to me is a Barnes and Noble that gets packed just about everyday. I enjoy purchasing a real book than reading it digitally...but then again I don't have one of those Kindles or Nooks.