That definitely smells of desperation, but again, at least they were trying something. Now though, they have fewer books on fewer shelves. Maybe they're trying something, but it's not about being a book store.
I know carrying inventory is expensive. But old inventory in a bookstore should almost be considered a marketing/advertising cost. There will be a reason to browse and stay. The store will smell like a bookstore.
The discovery process at B&N is minimal and sometimes worse than Amazon. At least with Amazon, I get the "people who bought this also bought this". Especially when dealing with a series, it makes a lot of sense. The "people who looked at this also looked at that" suggestions are great when comparing which book of non-fiction to get.
Going to B&N and trying to buy a specific book in a series is pure frustration. More people read the first book, so it's commonly not in stock. Or the series isn't popular enough and the subsequent volumes aren't available.
Really, I want them to do well. I tell my kids about the golden age of big bookstores where there were books and books and books. I try to buy things where I discover them, even if that makes them more expensive because I want the ability to discover things to stick around.
I know carrying inventory is expensive. But old inventory in a bookstore should almost be considered a marketing/advertising cost. There will be a reason to browse and stay. The store will smell like a bookstore.
The discovery process at B&N is minimal and sometimes worse than Amazon. At least with Amazon, I get the "people who bought this also bought this". Especially when dealing with a series, it makes a lot of sense. The "people who looked at this also looked at that" suggestions are great when comparing which book of non-fiction to get.
Going to B&N and trying to buy a specific book in a series is pure frustration. More people read the first book, so it's commonly not in stock. Or the series isn't popular enough and the subsequent volumes aren't available.
Really, I want them to do well. I tell my kids about the golden age of big bookstores where there were books and books and books. I try to buy things where I discover them, even if that makes them more expensive because I want the ability to discover things to stick around.