By Irishguy

January 12, 2012 2:16 PM | Link to this

Good points all Mark. Maybe it’s just because I’m getting old, but there’s just something about books. Don’t know if I’ll ever get around to owning a tablet. I’m sure my wife would love to utilize my bookshelves for other purposes.

By Mark from St Paul

January 10, 2012 12:45 PM | Link to this

Isn’t it well past time for “book” lovers to acknowledge that the most important part of any book is that which can be digitalized and accessed via devices like Kindles, Nooks, iPads and other tablets? And that by restricting your reading to devices, entire forests could be saved (I’m pretty sure half of all published books are never read before getting pulped and recycled). I could wax poetic about vintage typewriters and on occasion have used apps to make my keyboard sound like an old Royal typewriter but that doesn’t mean I want to return to the days of typewriters and carbon paper. Bookstores are a dying breed, but books — thanks to digital technology — have never been more popular. Authors are our most precious resource, not publishers.

By Blowfly

January 9, 2012 5:10 PM | Link to this

I can’t believe that all bookstores are going to go out of business, but I have to admit that the B&N across the street from my office has less and less merchandise all the time - and it seems to be a busy place. Something does need to be done to level the playing field between online and brick and plywood retailers.

By Slightly Right

January 7, 2012 6:27 AM | Link to this

Technology takes over again, just like the decline of video rental stores.

By Irishguy

January 6, 2012 8:19 PM | Link to this

HHmmmm, last year I got a Border gift card for Christmas and they went belly up, this year I got a gift card from Barnes and Noble. I’m just sayin’…..

By Kellee

January 6, 2012 5:24 PM | Link to this

As crappy as their customer service is I’m surprised they have remained in business this long. I purchased a book from them which turned out to be missing about 40 pages due to a printing/binding error. I called them about it & they refused to accept it as a return & replace it since it was past their 14 day return policy. Not to mention everyone I spoke to was smug & condescending. I contacted the publisher, who seemed surprised B&N wouldn’t replace it (especially considering all B&N had to do was return it to them for a credit), and they were completely helpful. I had a replacement within a week. I can see if I had decided I simply didn’t like the book, but it was defective, missing something like 3 chapters! This would be like buying a CD to find out that a track or two is missing, or a DVD missing a chapter of a film. I even offered to provide a photo I had taken to show I hadn’t simply ripped the pages out. They declined. The publisher gladly accepted my photo as they said it would help them in the troubleshooting process. I encourage everyone I know to avoid B&N like the plague…

By vick

January 6, 2012 2:12 PM | Link to this

C, while I don’t think that these product placements my friend reports are indicative of impending doom they are of interest to me for another reason: publishers often pay big chains for book placements. When you see that big stack of an author’s books in a prime spot it is often due to inducements paid by publishers to obtain this privilege on behalf of a title they want to do well. That’s the book biz…it is totally a part of doing business.

By C

January 6, 2012 1:30 PM | Link to this

I would not read into that as an indication of imminent failure. It’s the same reason grocery stores put Milk in the back. If forces you to look (and hopefully buy) at other things. With that said, sure selling physical books is not exactly a breakout business model these days.