@Hyper Kin Few plucky independents? I live in a smallish town and there are four bookstores, all thriving. I think books are going to be okay, and bookstores too. Or do you think they're going to go the way of vinyl and typewriters? Oh wait. Brother, Swintec, and Royal still make new typewriters you can buy at Staples/Office Max/etc, and Vinyl's doing fine. It's a little early to proclaim the death of anything.
@Hyper Kin Okay, I'm done now.... Borders closed shop everywhere 9 years ago, and have 0 stores open everywhere, so I have no idea what you're talking about here, or even what your argument is?
@Hyper Kin Borders Books and Music closed in 2011 (give or take a year). The major bookstores left are Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Half Priced Books. The last one is more like a thrift store, where most of the items sold are used, aka second hand. 😇🤗🙂☺😚😙😗😘😍😎😊😉😆😅😄😃😂😁😀
Ruben Guzman Maybe it’s because of my nostalgic Library memories and earliest reading experience making me like it, but I love the smell of print books: new and old. You can’t easily replicated the 20+ year old book smell. What is that scent? 😆 Anyone else ever flipped through the pages of a book just to smell it?
Ruben Guzman, personally I dislike physical book. I love reading at night and I just hate the pages. How floppy they are and how they can rip. That’s my personal reference, I don’t really understand when people talk about the smell of books? That’s just one confusing thing for me.
B and N started off as a bookstore for Universities,and most still have one. I have one at my University. Although,the books are expensive it's convenient to get books and supplies on campus with FAFSA or book scholarships. B and N is still great for bussiness in some states,but some feel like why buy a expensive book when I can get it online for example,chegg. Most people go to B and N for studying and getting a drink or snack. B and N would probably benefit by closing superstores and stay at colleges and universities and also lowering prices.
Sciurus Hound Alpha But then you don’t have a bookstore to look through, your favorite authors can’t afford to pay bills and stay with their publisher because no one wants to support the dollar amount needed to pay the team who brought you the book, and publishers suffer because no one will buy new copies instead of used because they get nothing from used copies. I could give a half hour power point on how Amazon is crippling the publishing industry.
Shannon Hawkins Going cheap on everything without looking at somethings worth has been the issue since Wal Mart. There is nothing like getting a good deal, but common sense has to be used. Capitalism is turning into economic cannibalism.
@@analogeit Amazon pricing for many items is above typical retail in stores, if you research the items. But a lot of that is because the items are sold by Third Parties, not necessarily Amazon.
I love reading physical books, but my problem with Barnes and Noble is that they sell almost everything at full cover price in the actual store. When I can easily go to Amazon and get a book, even a new release, for cheaper and with prime shipping. Even their website is cheaper than actually buying in store, and you can't price match from their own website to the physical store. I think maybe they should work on evening out this problem. I love going to a book store and being surrounded by endless book options, but I an rarely bring myself to actually splurge on one for the full cover price unless I absolutely need it right that second.
I don’t mind paying extra if that is what it will take to help keep it open I don’t like amazon I’m old fashion I like to see in person what I’m buying and there’s still a lot of people like me but to each of there own . I hope Barnes and noble never goes away Amazon can’t compete with Barnes n noble as far as going in and sit and read books and drink coffee an relax only thing they got over them is cheaper price .
Barnes and Noble has to go off the publishers price. They don't have control. And by purchasing the Amazon price, you're hurting the writer you're trying to support. If the author can't hit the sales that their publisher needs them to hit, they're done. Jeff absolutely does not support writers and he "punishes" those that challenge him.
I still love B&N and physical books are so much better than digital copies. I'll honestly only read digital sneak peeks of books to see if it's something I'll enjoy and then buy the hard copy
@@giofromtexas2679 Kindle readers use e-ink.I have been using Kindle Touch for years,perfectly safe for the eyes and even better than a physical book as you can increase the font size to your comfort
I agree and if technology were to go down and crash, how are you to read your book online? That is why my family have our own personal library here at home.
I would go to Half Price Books. It sells lots of used books and plenty of other items. Things like music CDs, Vinyl records, DVD movies and television shows, Blu-Ray movies and television shows, video games, and more. 😇🤗🙂☺😚😙😗😘😍😎😊😉😆😅😄😃😂😁😀
I really like Barnes & Noble, I never buy any books, but its a good place to sit, drink coffee and get work done. Maybe they should push marketing themselves as a shared workspace business that has books instead of marketing themselves as a bookstore.
Danny L Not bad, libraries have become disgraceful and shameful places by being overridden by homeless, poor, cops, and other people not interested in reading.
I love to read physical books and I would hate to see book stores go out of business, but B&N is simply too expensive. I wish that they could lower their prices, but I also understand the concept of business and unfortunately the company will not want to take the temporary loss to accommodate the customer. Therefore Amazon will no doubt triumph in this scenario.
I live close to a big bookstore (books a million) that does just that and its fantastic. I can usually get most of my books in gently used condition for $4-$7. love it
@@alydiaforten5011 The brick and mortar stores don't sell used books. They sell remainders: unused books that the publisher is clearing out. Used books are a totally different business.
I loved Borders, my dad used to take me there as a kid. Now I go to Barnes and Noble and I love it. I hate reading digital books, I hope they don’t shut down :(
I’ve worked for B&N and I’ve worked for Borders. Borders was the best company ever. Unfortunately they waited too long to get online. So between B&N’s online presence and the rise of Amazon they were doomed.
@@georginatoland Borders also had a more diverse selection of books to choose from. Barnes and Noble used to be like that say 40 years ago but by the mid 90's I noticed it starting to change. Now they are sought of generic.
I love Barnes & Noble. We need to support actual bookstores, they are contributing not only to our economy, but also our children's education. right? who loves B&N like me?
Ehhh Barnes and Noble is a chain store that deals in books more than it is a book store worthy of being supported for its own sake. They put many more bookstores out of business than they ever built themselves.
I worked at barnes and noble for a couple years and it was soul sucking. Apparently it used to be a great place to work but the company has become so desperate that they no longer take care of their employees. I walked into work one day and they had fired half the staff, across all Barnes and Nobles in the nation. And not just any of the staff members, they fired the staff members who had been there the longest. They were the ones who built the company from the ground up, and who had come back to work even after they retired because they loved it so much. It was horrible. The company had zero plan on how to handle running stores on half staff and the few of us remaining were worked into the ground trying to get everything done. I quit soon after. Don't get me wrong, I love bookstores, but I no longer shop at Barnes and Noble. I support the small local stores that are run by individuals who genuinely care about books and literature.
It’s pretty bad now. They push us to hard to make sales and conversion figures. We have to sell as many memberships as possible. It’s an okay place to work, but I feel like I’m just a tool and not a person
It seriously sucks that that happened. I mean.. so far I love working there, the only reason I have health issues is because Im fulltime with two jobs, BN included, and a student.
I would like to add 1 thing about Barnes & Noble. Apparently they have ditched free speech because it is very difficult to even find books in their store that support conservatives and especially not Donald Trump. I called one in Ridgeland, Mississippi and asked for the book BLITZ by David Horowitz. I was put on hold for about 10 minutes and she came back and said they did not have it. That tells me they are so biased to the left that they are not going to make it, and they deserve to go belly up.
one of my saddest thoughts is that books would one day become a thing of the past. However, any TRUE book lover would tell you that Kindle/ iPad and the rest could NEVER achieve what those bound stacks of paper can. Physical books will perish the day humanity does. I really believe that
I used to think the opposite a few years back and I often tried to do all my assignments from school digitally and I was one of those paperless nutjobs but recently I've completely changed my mind on the matter. There's just something about writing everything out and marking up a page in a book that I can't seem to replace.
mmmmm...I really like ebooks and I read about 50 books a year... eventually will stop buying physical unless I find a cheaper physical version in a second hand store....if I need physical I use the library.
Yeah, Half Price Books is an excellent store. Unlike Barnes & Noble, the books are affordable and unlike Amazon, you can actually find interesting things to read.
@@bonoki3870 obviously they weren't aggressive enough about it. Amazon tried that too but let up after pushback because they don't need to dominate books as the everything store. But when you're barnes in nobles they should have done something to leverage effective equity from publishers because no other national franchise can deliver the scale or quality of experience you get from going inside a B&N. They are the Conde Naste, the HBO of chain bookstores you can walk into. Best Buy sells electronics and made the in-store experience work for them. They hold their ground on selling digital hardware against Amazon, the king of digital. B&N could have made books work, but at the end of the day I guess the business execs who could have masterminded that transformation were bored by the thought of burnt a middle man of black and white paper in an iPhone, PlayStation, Netflix, and Instagram modern era. Besides the real value of books isn't the jacket, the shelves, or the ink; it's the information those things contain. And in this digital world information has been freed, so who really wants to try to insist upon the four walls of a big box in that space.
I was a manager at B&N until about 8 years ago when the now failed NOOK e-reader was being released. It was ALL about pushing the NOOK at that time! It was an incredible challenge to get employees, especially the long-time ones, “excited” about pushing a product whose technology was putting them out of a job. Also, in store, we couldn’t compete with Amazon and even OUR OWN online prices for traditional books. Is it any wonder the stores are failing?!
Ha! Yes! I remember my wife and I passing it back and forth, “Let me see if I can figure it out...” Later on, she wanted a Kindle but since I got such a great discount I got her a Nook for Christmas. Treating it gently, the charging port became loose and stopped working within about 6 months. Of course, this was about the time all the problems started surfacing due to cheap manufacturing so they were basically giving the middle finger to anyone trying to have it fixed or replaced...even employees! 😕
major600 Just thought of this...one of my favorite Channels, Adam The Woo, visited the Museum of Failure and the Nook was featured there. It’s at about the 12:40 mark. 😂 ruclips.net/video/eQ7bE9IrfEs/видео.html
What was the big reason why BN couldn’t match their OWN online prices? This dumb company policy just boggles my mind!!! Are the physical stores franchised and individually operated?
Jason Park we as employees were just as baffled. All stores are corporately owned and operated. Things may have changed in the last 8 yrs, since I was there, but I wouldn’t know...I buy my books on Amazon. Lol
I'm from England and when I go to the USA I make many trips to Barnes and Nobles. Americans tend to have better front covers and nice floppy paperbacks. I also love other things about the store like the cafe and all the other accessories they sell. If England had Barnes and Nobles stores over here I wouldn't buy online I would go in store. I love Barnes and Nobles!!
Over the years B&N has become increasingly customer unfriendly. Sit on the floor and read a book? Nope, can't do that. Tables to sit? Removed a lot of that. Couches? Removed a lot of that, too. And to add insult to injury, they charge full retail on everything. I don't think customers expect B&N to match Amazon, but c'mon, give us a symbolic discount. Just a gesture of good will.
Problem was people who sat for hours reading ended up leaving and not buying anything. They hogged books from paying customers and made messes. People took advantage of B&N's system. Now B&N got to make ends meet by charging more which really sucks. =(
The only thing they have to offer is a membership, which you have to pay for, to get a discount of 10%. Which, is barely anything, especially if you have more than one item. I do not see Barnes and Noble lasting much longer.
Physical books are good on the occasion but for everyday ebooks make way more sense from an economic perspective (both to producers and consumers), an environmental one, and efficiency (you can carry thousands of books on a device but it's only practical to carry 1 to 2 physical books on your person. Anyways since the advent of the kindle book sales have skyrocketed. Physical books are cute though.
I still pay the high end price for being able to go to the physical store. I love this place and always will. It's so serene, the smell of pages, the choices, it's ambience. Online cannot give you that. I choose to look at it as: This is my Friday night date. I would have spend 40.00 elsewhere. I rather spend it here and take the book, feeling, and memory home.
You could have just spent your day at the bookstore but then buy the book online.. you still have the memory and feeling and whatever else you like about physical bookstores and still save yourself that 20%. That's what I do anyways.
Samme had a Borders in my local plaza and bought some books from there and then they closed down. Thought my borders would be replaced with stores elsewhere but all Came closing down. :(
I agree, I enjoy shopping in bookstores personally especially for Manga and some drawing books. I'll never turned digital for Manga especially cause I love collecting them myself personally. Plus I always go there whenever I walk around the mall cause that's where it usually is! Plus Unlike online I got the new volume to my favorite manga way much earlier than if I were to order it lol. And a nice thing about bookstores is you can look through the books personally which you can't do online.
Good for you ! Of all the things I will remember the Trump administration for , I do NOT want to remember it as being responsible for the end of Barnes and Noble . I'll probably check out their stacks few times before 12/25/2018 .
To those complaining about prices, you can actually do that new thing called "buy online, pick up in store" and essentially you pay online price then pick it up at your local store if they have it. If they can't find it you get refunded, obviously. At least they do that in NYC.
I recently pre ordered a book online on B and N's site for a cheaper price instead of waiting to purchase it in store and spending more. I love physical copies of books. Digital is not the same.
But you still have to go to the physical store? Getting to the store in the first place is the hardest part. Endless parking lots and waiting in line for the light to change, getting cut off in the lanes by old ladies... It's nice that you can see if the store has what you need online before you waste your time in the store looking, but if I'm going to buy a book online, I'm going to have it delivered too. The store still has to wait for my book to be shipped and they use the same service that mails to me anyway. Oh well.
Clinton McBride you actually don't have to go to the store, it's just an option for people that want to go to the store. On top of that you can also get the books for as cheap or cheaper than Amazon since most of the sellers on Amazon also sell on Barnes & Noble. You can also get books cheaper if you have a membership which is only $20 a year and if you buy about 5 or more books that usually pays for itself.
Still more expensive than amazon and I hate amazon. For example there was a Buffy comic I wanted to buy- at Barnes it was $25, on amazon it was $18...I wanted the game of thrones books but not for Barnes and noble’s money. Actually found them at a used bookstore for $4/Pop that was great. And been amassing the unfortunate events collection for $1-2/book from thrift stores. Just can not afford Barnes and nobles. I still go sit and read but never buy anything
Hard to feel bad for them, since they were responsible for putting so many mom-and-pop booksellers out of business! Luckily, a great local bookstore opened in my city a few years ago- they have MUCH more of a community than the local Barnes and Noble, with book clubs, readings, writing groups, kids classes, and involvement with the creative writing program at the college and a local literary magazine. I love being able to support that local culture and everything they bring to my community with my purchases!
B&N did the same thing to my hometown, I'm still sad about it. It's awesome you are supporting your local bookstore! It's more effort and often costs more money but it's so important to keep a community going!
@@krypto_4702 Border was fooled into partnering with Amazon thinking it would make them more competitive against B&N. Little did they know that Amazon was the wolf in sheep's clothing and still exploited Border's long after they folded...
I still love barnes and nobles, the quiet comfort of reading a physical book you can't get anywhere else. Plus the light from ipads and othe electronic devices ices is bad for your eyes. Im pretty sure 30 years from now among all the lawsuits of bad vision and any other retinal problems people might have, then thats when when society will get it. Not all innovation is positive.
Lol. They already solved the light from ebooks as a problem for the eyes so they don't strain. You have different reading modes to adjust. Lmao. This isn't the 2000s. Technology is far more advanced. Physical book sellers will vanish and the ones owned by big corporations would keep it alive just for name sake.
Physical books will always be better, being able to hold a beautiful book in your hand is a great feeling, but you would have to be a book lover to understand.
Barnes and Noble better not go bankrupt it’s literally my favorite bookstore ever! Just the feeling of going inside there. The nostalgia. The smell of freshly brewed coffee. The smell of the pages when I would open up a book. The comfortable chairs that I can sit on and read without any bother on my mind. It’s not just a store, it’s a part of my life. I can’t imagine a life without this bookstore.
I guess "Borders" never exist...I've always liked it better than Barnes & Nobel, and was upset when it went bankrupt and closed almost 10 years ago....
Borders was one of my fave places. But a big drawback: EVERY seat in the coffee bar was taken on weekends by people doing homework. No place to sit for someone who just wanted a cup of coffee and a pastry.
Thats why people should focus on and DEMAND on purchasing DRM free digital products. Books, Games or any other media should be all DRM free but many people are tricked into thinking they "own" things when they, in actuality, don't.
I was a manager of a small new and used book there was no greater joy then sharing my love of books. I loved recommending books and having the person come back to tell me how much they loved it.
Thier book prices are ridiculously high. Why should I buy from Barnes & Noble when I can buy from Amazon, Scholastic, or even EBay at a much cheaper price?
I would never replace the magic of reading a paper book for a digital one. Long life to Barnes and Noble! I love that place to hang for hours while a drink something from their café,study and to buy the books and magazines that I like.
I still use exclusively Barnes n noble for my needs. PAPER GANG . I want that sweet smell of a fresh stack of pages flipping through my fingers beneath my quivering nostrils. I love you Barnes n noble forever
I don't know if Bookmans is everywhere or just in Arizona but I love it. I love walking around Barnes and Noble but its so expensive. Bookmans always has both new and used(in very good condition) books so so I usually buy from there. They also have art, games, records, cds, dvds, consoles, and toys. A lot of them are donated. I don't care about my books being brand new and pristine as much as B&N wants me to. But even the new books at Bookmans are way cheaper than B&N
For me, my favorite store was Walden's books.. because they had titles that I rarely saw elsewhere. But then Barnes n' Nobles came and shut them down.. now Barnes n Nobles is the only place in town other than maybe target or walmart/Sam's club.. (both have little selection)😰💔 my town doesn't read much so I don't think they'd care but I do.. so to see the only book store die is terrifying!! 😥 Like I also use the local library too since they have alot more ebooks now. But I've seen stories of some public libraries losing funding and closing.. I just can't imagine how terribly close my hometown could be... to do the same.? Just to save a lousy buck. 😡💔
That was my favorite too. I don't think Barnes & Nobe was the main reason they closed, a contributing factor maybe. I think mall rent prices, the state of the economy, online sales, and the struggles of Walden's parent company Borders Group-- which is why Borders Group was consilidating their business strategy to focus more on the Borders brand of superstores.
@@Mister_Rooster how is he getting them in trouble? He's only talking about the downfalls and rises of companies. He's merely doing research and stating facts
Some of my fondest childhood and adult memories are my local Barnes&Noble. Getting a coffee at their Starbucks, and setting down for hours on end reading books. On weekends. Weekdays. Cold, boring winter days. I love Amazon, but it will never provide the experience this store did. I agree first and foremost they have to get the prices of these books lowered.
I loved Barnes and Noble, I worked at a large store in 2006, putting the store back together after hurricane Katrina. Mr. Reggio even came to New Orleans and built homes for some people who lost everything in the storm. What happened!?! It was large but homey and comfortable.
B&N has to drop their prices more. I love their store and would happily buy more in store rather than ordering via Amazon, but the DVD’s and CD’s are ridiculously priced compared to Amazon and Best Buy, among other places, and books are often $20.00 more than Amazon, even when you are a B&N member. Also, they need more people on the floor to help, more workers to keep shelves tidy and stop selling damaged books with bent bindings and corners for full price! Make it worth our while to buy from you and we will!
I'm from the Netherlands but visit the US quite often. One of the first things I'll do there is to go to B&N, and spend somewhere around 2 hours in there.
I love Barnes and Noble BUT where they’ve gone wrong is their membership is incredibly expensive considering membership does NOT get you price matching with their own website, guaranteed two day shipping, any streaming partnership, or any preference in attending in store events. It’s great that they have cafés and have partnered with Starbucks at a lot of locations but what other value-added services can they provide? That’s the question they need to answer to stay around. There will never be experiences that will match cuddling up with a good book, that smell of a new book, the excitement of reading that book you’ve been anticipating since you finished the one before it in a series...
One key thing you didn't mention is that Barnes N Noble always sells their books at top dollar amount when I can just go to Amazon and sometimes get it for half that amount even for brand new books. The other day I was about to impulse buy 3 books at Barnes N Noble, but then checked the prices on Amazon and realized that I would be saving $15 if I just bought them online. I like to peruse Barnes N Noble stores for new releases and to get that bookstore feeling, but then open up my Amazon app and put it on my wishlist instead. It's so much cheaper this way. Some really popular books that have come out recently also sell at places like Walmart, Target, and even Costco's. When the new Fantastic Beasts screenplay comes out this week, where am I going to buy the book? Costco's. Why? Because it's popular enough that it will be in stock and I know it will be around $10, whereas Barnes N Noble will sell it for over $20 for the same thing. I'm just trying to get a bang for my buck, and I don't want to be manipulated by greedy CEO's.
If you're using B&N the store to book shop and then screwing them over and buying amazon, that's pretty junky. The up charge on the books is paying for that storefront & the employees helping you. That's why amazon is cheap, it's a warehouse, no storefront fees. Amazon knows this and preys on your desire for cheap over sustaining a community business. Amazon prices their books at a loss. They're only priced that way to put physical stores out of business. It's an aggressive tactic and as soon as B&N closes they'll raise their prices. No more storefront for you to shop at. Even if you dont shop at B&N try to patronize the bookstores you get that 'bookstore feeling' from. There are a lot of local businesses who would appreciate your business and cant price cut like mega corporations can.
When I worked there years ago, I remembered they were launching the Nook. I could tell it was a mistake, but the biggest mistake I think was not offering free e/book with purchased books. So before everyone talks about scams/whatever. All they had to do is only offer it to those who are members. So your digital copies is linked to your hardcopy. If you returned the book, it would be removed, or just let them keep it. Whatever. People still want physical copies, but some also want digital. Give them both and it's win win. Then since people would already have this library of digital, the would be more inclined to shop on Barnes and Nobles site, rather than amazon... oh, well, too late now.
I am a voracious book reader. I used to buy books from B&N stores until Amazon started undercutting them significantly. I'm talking prices that are 30-40% lower at Amazon. If I were rich, I'd patronize B&N, but I can't afford it. B&N needs to focus on reducing its cost structure and pass those savings to consumers. Perhaps that means self-service (eliminate staff), perhaps it means relocating to less prime locations (reduce lease expenses), perhaps it means reducing the store size to focus on more popular books, regrettable as it is.
I hope they recover. Everytime I walk in a mall and see a Barnes and Nobles- I am instantly drawn to it. There is just something nostalgic about a bonafide bookstore with REAL FRIGGIN BOOKS that the online alternative will never replicate.
I was at a B&N this past week and was surprised at how busy it was. That said, it was poorly organized and like a maze to navigate. They need to focus more on the community aspect and think of ways to make it a communal space for people to hang out; things Amazon can't physically do - besides just arm chairs and Starbucks.
Barnes & Nobel have a beautiful collection of leatherbound classics and it is a shame that their books are so hard to get where I live and it is a shame that they are running out of business
Paying the higher price is worth it to me. It is also about the experience, ambience, and nostalgia. Going to a physical bookstore and grabbing a coffee as I browse and then curl up with a good book is one of my favorite past-times. If I have to pay a little extra to keep them in business, I will. I plan to never buy a book from Amazon as long as I live. Another commenter here made the amazing point that the money spent on a book at B&N is just money that would have been spent elsewhere--like going to dinner, a bar, or a movie. And I think many of us would agree that there is nothing wrong with spending your Friday night with a book. :)
Because it’s very expensive, kindle and online books are at rise and people don’t want to overpay for their books. The only way they can survive is if they start doing book club events and indoor events for people to meet sort of like a hang out. And maybe also renting the books.
Renting books? If you mean textbooks, you can already do that from your campus bookstore, probably. And if you mean regular books, there are libraries.
I never knew there was a problem with Barnes and Nobles, it's very much going strong in Northern Indiana. Especially around colleges and near Comic con Convention areas. I go every weekend and it's always filled.
It wasn't Ray Bradbury alone. He derived his "Opus Maior"-Fahrenheit 451°- from British author H.G. Wells. Author Wells wrote: The Time Machine, where books became obsolete.
@@TheOwl3r the main point I took away from the book was that people did it to themselves. They became disinterested with long publications and became more attracted to pulp and sensationalism.
I love Barnes and Noble, but it takes a big chunk of my wallet. It's tempting to buy online when the price is only a fraction of the cost that I would've paid at B&N. Although, the atmosphere is homely and gives me a warm feeling. I go there to read their books while I'm in the store, but I find myself spending less money. I wish they had cheaper prices. I hate reading books online. My phone overheats, I have to charge it, and it irritates me when I'm staring at a screen for too long. I love the feeling of the physical copy of a book as well as the sweet swell that hits my nose when I open it.
It's difficult to get around the business model of shoppers looking at a product in a local store, then ordering it for less from a massive on-line warehouse. Students doing their homework can't make up for the lost business, even if they occasionally buy coffee. Maybe they need to put on other activities to draw in whatever demographic would actually buy the most books. For clothes, if the shop doesn't have your size, you can order it on-line from the same company rather than waiting for them to get it in to the shop. Has amazon decimated the drapers too? Amazon has encouraged impulse buying with their "one-click" scheme. Perhaps physical shops could do something similar.
Hopefully, the new owners will be able to save the company. It's nice to be able to while away a rainy Sunday with a stack of books and magazines in one of their comfy chairs.
I used to be a regular Barnes and Noble customer for years but after the digital era I became totally converted to Ebook reading. They came up with the Nook, and at least in the beginning, they had terrible customer service that was so bad I gave up on them and they lost me. They may have improved customer service since but I wouldn’t know. The problem with books and bookstores is the price, and it is my understanding that the booksellers don’t set the price. And therefore, books, reading and culture will continue to go down until they do something about the absurdity of book pricing in this country.
There are 11 Barnes & Noble locations within 50 miles of my house in Rhode Island so thankfully they haven’t fallen off the map entirely although things _are_ always changing and in just a few years time the landscape could look very different. No matter how different things look, though, I hope I’ll always have access to a bookstore. 📚
There are lots of Barnes and Noble in Ohio, and they’re more popular for avid readers, teachers, university students, etc. Something about going into a book store, investing in a book, carrying it around in a bag, and taking it home just makes the people feel good lol. To be honest, a $25 membership can save you lots of money if you go there a ton. As to why they refuse to price match their website is beyond me, I think that needs to change... It’s just stupidity. Good news is we’re no longer going under. Had a lot of cuts last year and they even cut the employee discount by 20%... Whatever I guess. Cafe does really well and my store was #1 in the district.
I’ve been at one for about 6 months now and it really all depends on the person. Teachers save 20% with the teacher membership and regular membership is only good for parents and, like you said, avid readers. Unfortunately, most people only shop there like once a year or converted straight to amazon
The price is the big problem, B&N is so expensive I don't shop there often. But I love holding a book in my hands when I read it. The only reason I go to B&N despite their prices is just the fact that they usually have whatever book im looking for without my having to place a special order at my local bookstore. It's understandable that a big business just has more space than a small one. But if I have to special order it I mine as well get it from Amazon. It'll be cheaper
My problem with Barnes and Nobles is that they never have the books I want in stock. So what's the point in ordering it in the store if I can just order it from Amazon? (Yes, I know Barnes and Nobles has a website for shopping. Unfortunately, it's selection isn't as extensive as Amazon's.) That said, any e-book I buy will never come from Amazon, as it has a proprietary format. Rakuten/Kobo e-books or from the publisher is the way to go.
@@flyaway9086 The kindle paper's screen has no light and even feels slightly like paper. I think that's what most people are using for e-books. I love reading both physical books and e-books. The Kindle is nothing like an iPad or computer screen.
Gerald - its Already happening, Amazon has TECH and Grocery stores that you Don't need to Pay with Cash or Credit Card, you Download an APP, Enter the Store, grab what you Want, and Leave store without having to Pay with Cash or Credit. I think SF Already has ONE and now Berkeley CA has one, I think NY has One. and the Amazon Tech stores also Carry the Popular Books.
two years later: b&n is doing fine again now that booktok is a thing. reading is suddenly trendy. plus, whenever I go into barnes and noble it’s crowded as heck!
I'm an employee at Barnes and Noble and yeah, the prices are the problem. Even when I want to buy something with my discount I can usually find the same thing for cheaper on our website or on amazon. Heck just the other day I went in to work to buy a few Studio Ghibli blu-rays and they were twice the price of what they were on amazon and all I had to do was wait two days.
When they closed BN here in my neighborhood,the community was never the same.Interaction,exchanging ideas,meeting people,smelling books...people stopped communicating with each other and kids stopped sharing.THAT is the sad part.
I really don't want book stores to go extinct
They won't- small bookstores are thriving now
@Hyper Kin Few plucky independents? I live in a smallish town and there are four bookstores, all thriving. I think books are going to be okay, and bookstores too.
Or do you think they're going to go the way of vinyl and typewriters? Oh wait.
Brother, Swintec, and Royal still make new typewriters you can buy at Staples/Office Max/etc, and Vinyl's doing fine.
It's a little early to proclaim the death of anything.
@Hyper Kin Okay, I'm done now....
Borders closed shop everywhere 9 years ago, and have 0 stores open everywhere, so I have no idea what you're talking about here, or even what your argument is?
@Hyper Kin Borders Books and Music closed in 2011 (give or take a year). The major bookstores left are Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Half Priced Books. The last one is more like a thrift store, where most of the items sold are used, aka second hand. 😇🤗🙂☺😚😙😗😘😍😎😊😉😆😅😄😃😂😁😀
Me either
The smell of books, touching a book it is divine! Digital "books" will never ever be compared. To survive B&N needs to cheaper the prices.
Ruben Guzman Maybe it’s because of my nostalgic Library memories and earliest reading experience making me like it, but I love the smell of print books: new and old. You can’t easily replicated the 20+ year old book smell. What is that scent? 😆 Anyone else ever flipped through the pages of a book just to smell it?
Or... Libraries
Yea e books always hurt my eyes
Ruben Guzman, personally I dislike physical book. I love reading at night and I just hate the pages. How floppy they are and how they can rip. That’s my personal reference, I don’t really understand when people talk about the smell of books? That’s just one confusing thing for me.
People also said that for physical copies of music. Nowadays no one buy CDs anymore
Barnes and noble needs to do book sales, no one wants to buy full price books when you can find it for cheaper online
B and N started off as a bookstore for Universities,and most still have one. I have one at my University. Although,the books are expensive it's convenient to get books and supplies on campus with FAFSA or book scholarships. B and N is still great for bussiness in some states,but some feel like why buy a expensive book when I can get it online for example,chegg. Most people go to B and N for studying and getting a drink or snack. B and N would probably benefit by closing superstores and stay at colleges and universities and also lowering prices.
It's really funny that their website has the book for cheaper then the actual store
Pegasus Books and Half Price Books. DONT buy Online.
Lauren N a
@@cacona6191 And they don't price match with their own website unless you're a member I hear.
Every Rise and Fall video:
“… and then Amazon came.”
Qiyamah Saleem and paid zero taxes and distorted so much businesses. Yes Amazon did all this
Wrong. Clothes, car, coffee... are not
@@samnguyenthi3092 but when have any of those industries fallen?
except in video games
@@troywright359 considering amazon's size i'll bet that Amazon will expand to the videogame industry
Books got expensive at store's. Amazon sells em cheap and libraries have em for free.
Sciurus Hound Alpha But then you don’t have a bookstore to look through, your favorite authors can’t afford to pay bills and stay with their publisher because no one wants to support the dollar amount needed to pay the team who brought you the book, and publishers suffer because no one will buy new copies instead of used because they get nothing from used copies.
I could give a half hour power point on how Amazon is crippling the publishing industry.
Shannon Hawkins Going cheap on everything without looking at somethings worth has been the issue since Wal Mart. There is nothing like getting a good deal, but common sense has to be used. Capitalism is turning into economic cannibalism.
alot of people like to collect
True, I just bought a book at kohl’s, was a dollar cheaper at Walmart, and like 3 dollars cheaper on amazon -___-
Magazines can be up to $15.
Amazon happened
@@analogeit Amazon pricing for many items is above typical retail in stores, if you research the items. But a lot of that is because the items are sold by Third Parties, not necessarily Amazon.
Trump is destroying our economy with these home made foreign policies. Get it from China
Amazon combined with so many people having "Social Anxiety" issues...
Brandon Beavis Investing I said those words before I clicked the video. I saw the title and was like "Amazon"
I was about to say lolol
I love reading physical books, but my problem with Barnes and Noble is that they sell almost everything at full cover price in the actual store. When I can easily go to Amazon and get a book, even a new release, for cheaper and with prime shipping. Even their website is cheaper than actually buying in store, and you can't price match from their own website to the physical store. I think maybe they should work on evening out this problem. I love going to a book store and being surrounded by endless book options, but I an rarely bring myself to actually splurge on one for the full cover price unless I absolutely need it right that second.
Kaylan Bacon Perfect
I don’t mind paying extra if that is what it will take to help keep it open I don’t like amazon I’m old fashion I like to see in person what I’m buying and there’s still a lot of people like me but to each of there own . I hope Barnes and noble never goes away Amazon can’t compete with Barnes n noble as far as going in and sit and read books and drink coffee an relax only thing they got over them is cheaper price .
Barnes and Noble has to go off the publishers price. They don't have control. And by purchasing the Amazon price, you're hurting the writer you're trying to support. If the author can't hit the sales that their publisher needs them to hit, they're done. Jeff absolutely does not support writers and he "punishes" those that challenge him.
Yep. You were spot on. That's why I only buy books from Amazon or Target, since they price match Amazon.
If you're a member, it's discounted. Worth it if you have kids who love to read, and pass on to other family members.
I still love B&N and physical books are so much better than digital copies. I'll honestly only read digital sneak peeks of books to see if it's something I'll enjoy and then buy the hard copy
@hama prgasc Sadly, you guys are the minority. With companies like Amazon that undersell, it makes things very hard
I dont have the patience to read an entire digital book, I have to have a hard copy! My eyes hurt after staring at a screen for too long 🙈🙈🙈
@hama prgasc I am saying Amazon undersells their physical books. They undersell everything that is how they gain marker share
Sameee
@@giofromtexas2679 Kindle readers use e-ink.I have been using Kindle Touch for years,perfectly safe for the eyes and even better than a physical book as you can increase the font size to your comfort
I’m so sad because I still love going to the book stores....
I do too. 😢😰😰😭😢😰😩😭😢😰😩😭😢😰😩😭😢😰😩😭
👍🏽
Ahri Park Me, too.
I will love Barnes and Noble until the day I pass away. 💋💞💌👄💕💘💝💗💖❣️💓😍💟❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
There are many other book stores around!!! Plus I don’t recommend going to chain stores. Instead you should support your local book stores!!!
Who remembers Borders book stores??
i do. still love all the times i went there.
My old hang out was Borders
I remember emptying my bank account when several near me were going out of business.
My CHILDHOOD 😭😭💕
Doydle Turnip my fav
I prefer paper books over kindle books. So I hope they make it. There’s nothing quite the same as having a book in your hand and turning actual pages.
Leti Wheeler same
Just go to the library
@@talesofterror5839 you can't own library books though.
I agree and if technology were to go down and crash, how are you to read your book online? That is why my family have our own personal library here at home.
I dont like the idea of charging my books
Physical books are better then e-books for personal reasons but B&N is just wayyy too expensive
Alex Lee I also don’t mind buying used books either most are like brand new and a whole lot cheaper and you can get them on eBay too
I would go to Half Price Books. It sells lots of used books and plenty of other items. Things like music CDs, Vinyl records, DVD movies and television shows, Blu-Ray movies and television shows, video games, and more. 😇🤗🙂☺😚😙😗😘😍😎😊😉😆😅😄😃😂😁😀
Agree
Agreed
I really like Barnes & Noble, I never buy any books, but its a good place to sit, drink coffee and get work done. Maybe they should push marketing themselves as a shared workspace business that has books instead of marketing themselves as a bookstore.
mutaween464 You’re Bangladeshi American? That’s really nice. I’m Indian/Bangladeshi American.
Hudaman erhhh?
So like a library, but not for free and with a Starbucks?
Danny L Not bad, libraries have become disgraceful and shameful places by being overridden by homeless, poor, cops, and other people not interested in reading.
Hudaman dude cool
Lower your prices B&N maybe that would help !!
It would not help, creating more sales would hurt the business, that's how most businesses go bankrupt.
I love to read physical books and I would hate to see book stores go out of business, but B&N is simply too expensive. I wish that they could lower their prices, but I also understand the concept of business and unfortunately the company will not want to take the temporary loss to accommodate the customer. Therefore Amazon will no doubt triumph in this scenario.
Yup I work there & it’s so mf expensive.
E books make actual books more expensive
But then how do they pay for overhead costs? The costs of maintaining and running a building.
Buy back unwanted books in good condition from your customers, then sale them back to those who needed books with reasonable prices
Absolutely, they definitely need to expand their used book section
I live close to a big bookstore (books a million) that does just that and its fantastic. I can usually get most of my books in gently used condition for $4-$7. love it
wait thats smart
so basically gamestop but for books lol
@@alydiaforten5011 The brick and mortar stores don't sell used books. They sell remainders: unused books that the publisher is clearing out. Used books are a totally different business.
bring back the small business bookstores. there is nothing like finding a great local bookstore...
@P Robbins for real! i really don't like ordering anything online, especially clothes, they never fit right...
The independent bookstores are still around , you just have to look harder for them .
@@v.dargain1678 if you're ever in Columbus Ohio I recommend the Book Loft. It's like a maze and has books old and new.
Thanks . I'll see what they offer online .
Absolutely. Im so glad to see that independent stores are making a comeback.
I loved Borders, my dad used to take me there as a kid. Now I go to Barnes and Noble and I love it. I hate reading digital books, I hope they don’t shut down :(
Go to the library.
Romae Daley m
I’ve worked for B&N and I’ve worked for Borders. Borders was the best company ever. Unfortunately they waited too long to get online. So between B&N’s online presence and the rise of Amazon they were doomed.
Romae Daley that is so sweet that your dad took you to the bookstore
@@georginatoland Borders also had a more diverse selection of books to choose from. Barnes and Noble used to be like that say 40 years ago but by the mid 90's I noticed it starting to change. Now they are sought of generic.
I love Barnes & Noble. We need to support actual bookstores, they are contributing not only to our economy, but also our children's education. right?
who loves B&N like me?
I love Barnes & Noble best place ever.
I love barnes and noble e but i also love ...my wallet
I would rather bring back the independent booksellers they drove out of business. What goes around comes around.
Ehhh Barnes and Noble is a chain store that deals in books more than it is a book store worthy of being supported for its own sake. They put many more bookstores out of business than they ever built themselves.
Everything BN did to local independent bookstores is getting done to itself.
I worked at barnes and noble for a couple years and it was soul sucking. Apparently it used to be a great place to work but the company has become so desperate that they no longer take care of their employees. I walked into work one day and they had fired half the staff, across all Barnes and Nobles in the nation. And not just any of the staff members, they fired the staff members who had been there the longest. They were the ones who built the company from the ground up, and who had come back to work even after they retired because they loved it so much. It was horrible. The company had zero plan on how to handle running stores on half staff and the few of us remaining were worked into the ground trying to get everything done. I quit soon after. Don't get me wrong, I love bookstores, but I no longer shop at Barnes and Noble. I support the small local stores that are run by individuals who genuinely care about books and literature.
It’s pretty bad now. They push us to hard to make sales and conversion figures. We have to sell as many memberships as possible. It’s an okay place to work, but I feel like I’m just a tool and not a person
It seriously sucks that that happened. I mean.. so far I love working there, the only reason I have health issues is because Im fulltime with two jobs, BN included, and a student.
I would like to add 1 thing about Barnes & Noble. Apparently they have ditched free speech because it is very difficult to even find books in their store that support conservatives and especially not Donald Trump. I called one in Ridgeland, Mississippi and asked for the book BLITZ by David Horowitz. I was put on hold for about 10 minutes and she came back and said they did not have it. That tells me they are so biased to the left that they are not going to make it, and they deserve to go belly up.
i had no idea barnes was having so much trouble because it’s huge in my town! it’s where everyone hangs out and it’s always packed.
one of my saddest thoughts is that books would one day become a thing of the past. However, any TRUE book lover would tell you that Kindle/ iPad and the rest could NEVER achieve what those bound stacks of paper can. Physical books will perish the day humanity does. I really believe that
Amen 🙏🏽
I used to think the opposite a few years back and I often tried to do all my assignments from school digitally and I was one of those paperless nutjobs but recently I've completely changed my mind on the matter. There's just something about writing everything out and marking up a page in a book that I can't seem to replace.
Omer Peretz I'll read physical books until the day I die.
Dey Garcia Perfect! Let’s keep this industry alive together!
mmmmm...I really like ebooks and I read about 50 books a year... eventually will stop buying physical unless I find a cheaper physical version in a second hand store....if I need physical I use the library.
The public store with walk-in reading and coffee sounds like a great place.
You've never been to a Barnes & Noble bookstore???
@@CC-si3cr No. But I've been to a bookstore with similar concept here in India and I loved it. But I wish to go to Barnes and Nobel some day :)
I go there sometimes its great
A Barnes and noble is an incredible place.
It's just a _socially adept_ library, to me.
I like bookstores, but I like paying half price on Amazon much more.
Half Price Books, A real Bookstore.
Yeah, Half Price Books is an excellent store. Unlike Barnes & Noble, the books are affordable and unlike Amazon, you can actually find interesting things to read.
I want both ; the chic , snobbish atmosphere of a bookstore AND the plebian prices of Amazon .
@Angel - Depending on the book and my need for it . I sometimes pay full price too .
Go to the library
i worked at a B&N. it was terrible. they were so obsessed with not sinking to amazon that corporate treated employees like machines instead of people.
Agreed. They push us so hard to sell memberships and make conversion rate as high as possible
Im not sure what BN you worked at... I love my job. Either I have the best BN ever or Im just a little machine
Amen to that, they stink so bad of desperation.
Oh really, I wanna work there this summer
I did too!!! So glad I don’t work there anymore lol. It was horrible and terrible management.
They should’ve capitalised their dominance and become publishers
my apologies, but i thought at one point they did?...
@@bonoki3870 obviously they weren't aggressive enough about it. Amazon tried that too but let up after pushback because they don't need to dominate books as the everything store. But when you're barnes in nobles they should have done something to leverage effective equity from publishers because no other national franchise can deliver the scale or quality of experience you get from going inside a B&N. They are the Conde Naste, the HBO of chain bookstores you can walk into. Best Buy sells electronics and made the in-store experience work for them. They hold their ground on selling digital hardware against Amazon, the king of digital. B&N could have made books work, but at the end of the day I guess the business execs who could have masterminded that transformation were bored by the thought of burnt a middle man of black and white paper in an iPhone, PlayStation, Netflix, and Instagram modern era. Besides the real value of books isn't the jacket, the shelves, or the ink; it's the information those things contain. And in this digital world information has been freed, so who really wants to try to insist upon the four walls of a big box in that space.
I was a manager at B&N until about 8 years ago when the now failed NOOK e-reader was being released. It was ALL about pushing the NOOK at that time! It was an incredible challenge to get employees, especially the long-time ones, “excited” about pushing a product whose technology was putting them out of a job. Also, in store, we couldn’t compete with Amazon and even OUR OWN online prices for traditional books. Is it any wonder the stores are failing?!
Ha! Yes! I remember my wife and I passing it back and forth, “Let me see if I can figure it out...” Later on, she wanted a Kindle but since I got such a great discount I got her a Nook for Christmas. Treating it gently, the charging port became loose and stopped working within about 6 months. Of course, this was about the time all the problems started surfacing due to cheap manufacturing so they were basically giving the middle finger to anyone trying to have it fixed or replaced...even employees! 😕
major600 Just thought of this...one of my favorite Channels, Adam The Woo, visited the Museum of Failure and the Nook was featured there. It’s at about the 12:40 mark. 😂 ruclips.net/video/eQ7bE9IrfEs/видео.html
What was the big reason why BN couldn’t match their OWN online prices? This dumb company policy just boggles my mind!!! Are the physical stores franchised and individually operated?
Jason Park we as employees were just as baffled. All stores are corporately owned and operated. Things may have changed in the last 8 yrs, since I was there, but I wouldn’t know...I buy my books on Amazon. Lol
Wow Wow ya I was really confused when they stopped price matching for their own members
I'm from England and when I go to the USA I make many trips to Barnes and Nobles. Americans tend to have better front covers and nice floppy paperbacks. I also love other things about the store like the cafe and all the other accessories they sell. If England had Barnes and Nobles stores over here I wouldn't buy online I would go in store. I love Barnes and Nobles!!
Does your nearest waterstones not have a café, both near me do.
It's pretty expensive though, that's why a majority of us don't buy from there
Over the years B&N has become increasingly customer unfriendly. Sit on the floor and read a book? Nope, can't do that. Tables to sit? Removed a lot of that. Couches? Removed a lot of that, too. And to add insult to injury, they charge full retail on everything. I don't think customers expect B&N to match Amazon, but c'mon, give us a symbolic discount. Just a gesture of good will.
Problem was people who sat for hours reading ended up leaving and not buying anything. They hogged books from paying customers and made messes. People took advantage of B&N's system. Now B&N got to make ends meet by charging more which really sucks. =(
@@cayoungART They charge more? How? They were already charging full retail.
@@Octavus5 Typo mistake. I meant charge "more than competitors."
Octavus5 In my city, B&N still has tables and couches
The only thing they have to offer is a membership, which you have to pay for, to get a discount of 10%. Which, is barely anything, especially if you have more than one item.
I do not see Barnes and Noble lasting much longer.
I'm fine with my local library and Amazon. And I'm glad small, local bookstores are making a comeback. Barnes and Noble is way too expensive.
I hope they don’t end up like Borders. They’re the last big store book chain.
Loveya226 no they aren’t.
We still have a few Books-A-Million locations.
As much as Barnes and nobles was hurt by amazon existing at least they didn’t stop existing like borders did over 8 years ago
@@chaffroncorder646 I never heard of Books A Million. What is it anyway? Inquiring minds want to know.
Physical Books > E-Books
nostalgia.....mmmm
Not always, there’s a thousand page textbook and I don’t want to have to lug it around
Physical books are good on the occasion but for everyday ebooks make way more sense from an economic perspective (both to producers and consumers), an environmental one, and efficiency (you can carry thousands of books on a device but it's only practical to carry 1 to 2 physical books on your person. Anyways since the advent of the kindle book sales have skyrocketed. Physical books are cute though.
Nuralink will replace Books, more Learning, more Intelegent Species.
For us who don't live in America or Europe.E-books>>>> books
I still pay the high end price for being able to go to the physical store. I love this place and always will. It's so serene, the smell of pages, the choices, it's ambience. Online cannot give you that. I choose to look at it as: This is my Friday night date. I would have spend 40.00 elsewhere. I rather spend it here and take the book, feeling, and memory home.
Mel, I love your comment, especially this part: "This is my Friday night date." That's a great idea to have a date night with books.
I love the Barnes & Noble physical book store experience. It makes me feel so relaxed after a hard day at the workplace. 😇🤗🙂☺😚😙😗😘😍😎😊😉😆😅😄😃😂😁😀
You could have just spent your day at the bookstore but then buy the book online.. you still have the memory and feeling and whatever else you like about physical bookstores and still save yourself that 20%. That's what I do anyways.
Amazon has ruined our world period. Environment, resources, traffic , pollution... All from Amazon. Probably destroying the Amazon forest too.
@@glennmoonpatrol8676 I guess you would rather buy books and other items at physical brick and mortar stores.
Wow you guys remember Borders i still remember it’s closing
Remember , Walden Books ?
Is B&N’s magazine section still good?
agrs129 - Print is Dead.
@@gars129 Yes
Borders was way cooler than B&N. I was bummed when they went under.
I don’t miss Barnes and Noble but I sure as hell miss Border’s
Bobby Paluga I miss Borders bookstore so much.
I still have my Borders membership card.
Borders had sales
I remember Borders. It was a Borders in our mall. Bought a couple books from there. Still have those books. Kinda miss them.
Samme had a Borders in my local plaza and bought some books from there and then they closed down. Thought my borders would be replaced with stores elsewhere but all Came closing down. :(
Hard copy is the only way to go. I'm going to Barnes tomorrow after watching this. Best place ever.
I agree, I enjoy shopping in bookstores personally especially for Manga and some drawing books. I'll never turned digital for Manga especially cause I love collecting them myself personally. Plus I always go there whenever I walk around the mall cause that's where it usually is! Plus Unlike online I got the new volume to my favorite manga way much earlier than if I were to order it lol. And a nice thing about bookstores is you can look through the books personally which you can't do online.
I agree . Best place to be if reading is your thing . If not , you've got problem .
I’m about to buy a few more books this week
Good for you ! Of all the things I will remember the Trump administration for , I do NOT want to remember it as being responsible for the end of Barnes and Noble . I'll probably check out their stacks few times before 12/25/2018 .
It cost $30 a book what do you expect
To those complaining about prices, you can actually do that new thing called "buy online, pick up in store" and essentially you pay online price then pick it up at your local store if they have it. If they can't find it you get refunded, obviously. At least they do that in NYC.
Miriam L same in all stores. It’s like that at the one I work at
I recently pre ordered a book online on B and N's site for a cheaper price instead of waiting to purchase it in store and spending more. I love physical copies of books. Digital is not the same.
But you still have to go to the physical store? Getting to the store in the first place is the hardest part. Endless parking lots and waiting in line for the light to change, getting cut off in the lanes by old ladies... It's nice that you can see if the store has what you need online before you waste your time in the store looking, but if I'm going to buy a book online, I'm going to have it delivered too. The store still has to wait for my book to be shipped and they use the same service that mails to me anyway. Oh well.
Clinton McBride you actually don't have to go to the store, it's just an option for people that want to go to the store. On top of that you can also get the books for as cheap or cheaper than Amazon since most of the sellers on Amazon also sell on Barnes & Noble. You can also get books cheaper if you have a membership which is only $20 a year and if you buy about 5 or more books that usually pays for itself.
Still more expensive than amazon and I hate amazon. For example there was a Buffy comic I wanted to buy- at Barnes it was $25, on amazon it was $18...I wanted the game of thrones books but not for Barnes and noble’s money. Actually found them at a used bookstore for $4/Pop that was great. And been amassing the unfortunate events collection for $1-2/book from thrift stores. Just can not afford Barnes and nobles. I still go sit and read but never buy anything
Hard to feel bad for them, since they were responsible for putting so many mom-and-pop booksellers out of business!
Luckily, a great local bookstore opened in my city a few years ago- they have MUCH more of a community than the local Barnes and Noble, with book clubs, readings, writing groups, kids classes, and involvement with the creative writing program at the college and a local literary magazine. I love being able to support that local culture and everything they bring to my community with my purchases!
B&N did the same thing to my hometown, I'm still sad about it. It's awesome you are supporting your local bookstore! It's more effort and often costs more money but it's so important to keep a community going!
Ripp I still go to Barnes and nobles for my books since it's the closest bookstore near me.
Agreed. Local bookstores have a certain charm that Barnes and Noble will never possess.
Borders was hands down the best bookstore EVER!
Too bad Amazon killed them
@@krypto_4702 Border was fooled into partnering with Amazon thinking it would make them more competitive against B&N. Little did they know that Amazon was the wolf in sheep's clothing and still exploited Border's long after they folded...
absolutely...
I go to Barnes and nobles to look at and preview books. Then I order them on Amazon. I can usually find a $25 BnN book for $10 or less that way
18colts12 I did that recently...and I don’t like to order books from Amazon.
I rely heavily on Amazon for school because of this!
I still love barnes and nobles, the quiet comfort of reading a physical book you can't get anywhere else. Plus the light from ipads and othe electronic devices ices is bad for your eyes. Im pretty sure 30 years from now among all the lawsuits of bad vision and any other retinal problems people might have, then thats when when society will get it. Not all innovation is positive.
Blue light filters and pauses of 10 min every 2-3h will prevent eye damage
Lol. They already solved the light from ebooks as a problem for the eyes so they don't strain.
You have different reading modes to adjust.
Lmao. This isn't the 2000s. Technology is far more advanced. Physical book sellers will vanish and the ones owned by big corporations would keep it alive just for name sake.
Robert Gray
Source?
Physical books will always be better, being able to hold a beautiful book in your hand is a great feeling, but you would have to be a book lover to understand.
We can't even deal with cigarettes and Alcohol problem. What make you think lawsuit that cause bad eyes will happen?
Making a 6 minute video for this is unrequired. The answer is "Amazon happened " .
pratik dutta lol folks forget in 1997 that’s how amazon started ...
That's vague
Barnes and Noble better not go bankrupt it’s literally my favorite bookstore ever! Just the feeling of going inside there. The nostalgia. The smell of freshly brewed coffee. The smell of the pages when I would open up a book. The comfortable chairs that I can sit on and read without any bother on my mind. It’s not just a store, it’s a part of my life. I can’t imagine a life without this bookstore.
I don’t want B&N to go out of business 😢... the feeling alone of physically having a book in your hands than a tablet is satisfying
I guess "Borders" never exist...I've always liked it better than Barnes & Nobel, and was upset when it went bankrupt and closed almost 10 years ago....
Borders was one of my fave places. But a big drawback: EVERY seat in the coffee bar was taken on weekends by people doing homework. No place to sit for someone who just wanted a cup of coffee and a pastry.
Ditto
I cried when they closed down. It was one of my favorite bookstore chains, and I remember it being a lot bigger than Barnes and Noble...
They DO mention Borders near the end. Perhaps you didn't watch that far?
But I have seen some Borders stores in my city (Dubai)
My favorite store, I was actually planning to go today and buy a book or two.
Nice...
Eureka nice
Must be rich
This is sad, society has become virtually handcuffed... literally.
Yep because you got idiots who buy digital download video games and movies and think they actually own something.
@@trappedintime8273 I hate digital anything cause like you say I dont feel like I own it if I buy it that way
Thats why people should focus on and DEMAND on purchasing DRM free digital products. Books, Games or any other media should be all DRM free but many people are tricked into thinking they "own" things when they, in actuality, don't.
Gio S6 I hate this argument that we are obsessed with electronics nowadays because of how stupid it is
Literally... virtually?
I was a manager of a small new and used book there was no greater joy then sharing my love of books. I loved recommending books and having the person come back to tell me how much they loved it.
Don't get me wrong, I like Barnes & Noble and it's a good book store and their books are of good quality, they just need to lower the prices.
Thier book prices are ridiculously high. Why should I buy from Barnes & Noble when I can buy from Amazon, Scholastic, or even EBay at a much cheaper price?
@Money Wisdom I feel warm and fuzzy when I can get two or three books for the price of one online
I hear that a lot as a bookseller there haha
I would never replace the magic of reading a paper book for a digital one. Long life to Barnes and Noble! I love that place to hang for hours while a drink something from their café,study and to buy the books and magazines that I like.
Let's go back to books
Vaibhav Rajput no. i like to read but i decided to start buying my book second hand,library and ebooks. its just not good for the environment.
myra961 They already made the book. someone’s gotta get them
Why?
Vaibhav Rajput one emp the technology is a wash we need Physical books
@@larry817 Yes We need
I still use exclusively Barnes n noble for my needs. PAPER GANG . I want that sweet smell of a fresh stack of pages flipping through my fingers beneath my quivering nostrils. I love you Barnes n noble forever
Same!!!!
❤
I don't know if Bookmans is everywhere or just in Arizona but I love it. I love walking around Barnes and Noble but its so expensive. Bookmans always has both new and used(in very good condition) books so so I usually buy from there. They also have art, games, records, cds, dvds, consoles, and toys. A lot of them are donated. I don't care about my books being brand new and pristine as much as B&N wants me to. But even the new books at Bookmans are way cheaper than B&N
For me, my favorite store was Walden's books.. because they had titles that I rarely saw elsewhere. But then Barnes n' Nobles came and shut them down.. now Barnes n Nobles is the only place in town other than maybe target or walmart/Sam's club.. (both have little selection)😰💔
my town doesn't read much so I don't think they'd care but I do.. so to see the only book store die is terrifying!! 😥
Like I also use the local library too since they have alot more ebooks now. But I've seen stories of some public libraries losing funding and closing.. I just can't imagine how terribly close my hometown could be... to do the same.? Just to save a lousy buck. 😡💔
That was my favorite too. I don't think Barnes & Nobe was the main reason they closed, a contributing factor maybe. I think mall rent prices, the state of the economy, online sales, and the struggles of Walden's parent company Borders Group-- which is why Borders Group was consilidating their business strategy to focus more on the Borders brand of superstores.
Same I have ONE local bookstore and that's it
STOP RIPPING OFF COMPANY MAN
It's not a rip off. It's competition. That's free Market for you. Deal with it.
MasterOfKarateandFriendship ! True
Dang It you can make a pretty good case for intellectual property so free market doesn't mean squat.
I'm pretty sure Company Man isn't the first person to talk about company trends, and he won't be the last.
@@Mister_Rooster how is he getting them in trouble? He's only talking about the downfalls and rises of companies. He's merely doing research and stating facts
Some of my fondest childhood and adult memories are my local Barnes&Noble. Getting a coffee at their Starbucks, and setting down for hours on end reading books. On weekends. Weekdays. Cold, boring winter days. I love Amazon, but it will never provide the experience this store did. I agree first and foremost they have to get the prices of these books lowered.
I loved Barnes and Noble, I worked at a large store in 2006, putting the store back together after hurricane Katrina. Mr. Reggio even came to New Orleans and built homes for some people who lost everything in the storm. What happened!?! It was large but homey and comfortable.
B&N has to drop their prices more. I love their store and would happily buy more in store rather than ordering via Amazon, but the DVD’s and CD’s are ridiculously priced compared to Amazon and Best Buy, among other places, and books are often $20.00 more than Amazon, even when you are a B&N member. Also, they need more people on the floor to help, more workers to keep shelves tidy and stop selling damaged books with bent bindings and corners for full price! Make it worth our while to buy from you and we will!
Hope Barnes & Noble will not close here in Los Angeles area. Love this bookstores.
My Books A Million or BAM near me is still quite busy and popular.
Mine Left. I miss BAM bookstores.
I love bam because they have coupons every week. Every one knows it because its near super Target
Why dont they just sell themselves to Amazon and settle the score?
I'm from the Netherlands but visit the US quite often. One of the first things I'll do there is to go to B&N, and spend somewhere around 2 hours in there.
I love Barnes and Noble BUT where they’ve gone wrong is their membership is incredibly expensive considering membership does NOT get you price matching with their own website, guaranteed two day shipping, any streaming partnership, or any preference in attending in store events.
It’s great that they have cafés and have partnered with Starbucks at a lot of locations but what other value-added services can they provide? That’s the question they need to answer to stay around.
There will never be experiences that will match cuddling up with a good book, that smell of a new book, the excitement of reading that book you’ve been anticipating since you finished the one before it in a series...
One key thing you didn't mention is that Barnes N Noble always sells their books at top dollar amount when I can just go to Amazon and sometimes get it for half that amount even for brand new books. The other day I was about to impulse buy 3 books at Barnes N Noble, but then checked the prices on Amazon and realized that I would be saving $15 if I just bought them online. I like to peruse Barnes N Noble stores for new releases and to get that bookstore feeling, but then open up my Amazon app and put it on my wishlist instead. It's so much cheaper this way. Some really popular books that have come out recently also sell at places like Walmart, Target, and even Costco's. When the new Fantastic Beasts screenplay comes out this week, where am I going to buy the book? Costco's. Why? Because it's popular enough that it will be in stock and I know it will be around $10, whereas Barnes N Noble will sell it for over $20 for the same thing. I'm just trying to get a bang for my buck, and I don't want to be manipulated by greedy CEO's.
If you're using B&N the store to book shop and then screwing them over and buying amazon, that's pretty junky. The up charge on the books is paying for that storefront & the employees helping you. That's why amazon is cheap, it's a warehouse, no storefront fees. Amazon knows this and preys on your desire for cheap over sustaining a community business. Amazon prices their books at a loss. They're only priced that way to put physical stores out of business. It's an aggressive tactic and as soon as B&N closes they'll raise their prices. No more storefront for you to shop at. Even if you dont shop at B&N try to patronize the bookstores you get that 'bookstore feeling' from. There are a lot of local businesses who would appreciate your business and cant price cut like mega corporations can.
Honestly, with a purchase of a hard copy book-book shoppers should be given free access to the ebook that they just purchased.
When I worked there years ago, I remembered they were launching the Nook. I could tell it was a mistake, but the biggest mistake I think was not offering free e/book with purchased books. So before everyone talks about scams/whatever. All they had to do is only offer it to those who are members. So your digital copies is linked to your hardcopy. If you returned the book, it would be removed, or just let them keep it. Whatever. People still want physical copies, but some also want digital. Give them both and it's win win. Then since people would already have this library of digital, the would be more inclined to shop on Barnes and Nobles site, rather than amazon... oh, well, too late now.
I am a voracious book reader. I used to buy books from B&N stores until Amazon started undercutting them significantly. I'm talking prices that are 30-40% lower at Amazon. If I were rich, I'd patronize B&N, but I can't afford it. B&N needs to focus on reducing its cost structure and pass those savings to consumers. Perhaps that means self-service (eliminate staff), perhaps it means relocating to less prime locations (reduce lease expenses), perhaps it means reducing the store size to focus on more popular books, regrettable as it is.
I am praying for barnes and noble that it doesn't shut down
I hope they recover. Everytime I walk in a mall and see a Barnes and Nobles- I am instantly drawn to it. There is just something nostalgic about a bonafide bookstore with REAL FRIGGIN BOOKS that the online alternative will never replicate.
Amazon is killing off Barnes & Noble. I used to work at one part-time when I was a university student. My favourite of all odd jobs I had.
MM R I worked at a book store back in high school and the customers were the nicest!
I was at a B&N this past week and was surprised at how busy it was. That said, it was poorly organized and like a maze to navigate. They need to focus more on the community aspect and think of ways to make it a communal space for people to hang out; things Amazon can't physically do - besides just arm chairs and Starbucks.
Barnes & Nobel have a beautiful collection of leatherbound classics and it is a shame that their books are so hard to get where I live and it is a shame that they are running out of business
Paying the higher price is worth it to me. It is also about the experience, ambience, and nostalgia. Going to a physical bookstore and grabbing a coffee as I browse and then curl up with a good book is one of my favorite past-times. If I have to pay a little extra to keep them in business, I will. I plan to never buy a book from Amazon as long as I live. Another commenter here made the amazing point that the money spent on a book at B&N is just money that would have been spent elsewhere--like going to dinner, a bar, or a movie. And I think many of us would agree that there is nothing wrong with spending your Friday night with a book. :)
I was so sad when Borders closed. I’ll probably cry if Barnes and Noble closes their stores.
Because it’s very expensive, kindle and online books are at rise and people don’t want to overpay for their books. The only way they can survive is if they start doing book club events and indoor events for people to meet sort of like a hang out. And maybe also renting the books.
HALF PRICE BOOKS nuff said.
Renting books? If you mean textbooks, you can already do that from your campus bookstore, probably. And if you mean regular books, there are libraries.
@Angel - try Half Price books.
I rather have physical books than kindle books
Frank velarde
Or make them cheaper
It was all about Books-A-Million when I was a kid
I never knew there was a problem with Barnes and Nobles, it's very much going strong in Northern Indiana. Especially around colleges and near Comic con Convention areas. I go every weekend and it's always filled.
They seem to be doing fine today. I never thought they'd still be around, yet here we are.
Looks like Ray Bradbury really touched on something...
Rather uncanny isn't it?
The poor man predicted what he tried to prevent.
It wasn't Ray Bradbury alone. He derived his "Opus Maior"-Fahrenheit 451°- from British author H.G. Wells. Author Wells wrote: The Time Machine, where books became obsolete.
Fahrenheit 451 isn't just about wiping out the existence of books, but the true history and true information being erased. It's about censorship.
@@TheOwl3r the main point I took away from the book was that people did it to themselves. They became disinterested with long publications and became more attracted to pulp and sensationalism.
Just when I thought the world couldn't get more depressing...
Keep your head up
Go watch Earthlings, Dominion, and Cowspiracy.
I’m still hung up on Borders. I will never get over them 😭
I love Barnes and Noble, but it takes a big chunk of my wallet. It's tempting to buy online when the price is only a fraction of the cost that I would've paid at B&N. Although, the atmosphere is homely and gives me a warm feeling. I go there to read their books while I'm in the store, but I find myself spending less money. I wish they had cheaper prices. I hate reading books online. My phone overheats, I have to charge it, and it irritates me when I'm staring at a screen for too long. I love the feeling of the physical copy of a book as well as the sweet swell that hits my nose when I open it.
It's difficult to get around the business model of shoppers looking at a product in a local store, then ordering it for less from a massive on-line warehouse. Students doing their homework can't make up for the lost business, even if they occasionally buy coffee. Maybe they need to put on other activities to draw in whatever demographic would actually buy the most books.
For clothes, if the shop doesn't have your size, you can order it on-line from the same company rather than waiting for them to get it in to the shop. Has amazon decimated the drapers too?
Amazon has encouraged impulse buying with their "one-click" scheme. Perhaps physical shops could do something similar.
I love B&N. Even when I don't need a book, I like to take my knitting, get a coffee, and just knit and hang out.
I hope they never go out of business
Hopefully, the new owners will be able to save the company. It's nice to be able to while away a rainy Sunday with a stack of books and magazines in one of their comfy chairs.
I used to be a regular Barnes and Noble customer for years but after the digital era I became totally converted to Ebook reading. They came up with the Nook, and at least in the beginning, they had terrible customer service that was so bad I gave up on them and they lost me. They may have improved customer service since but I wouldn’t know. The problem with books and bookstores is the price, and it is my understanding that the booksellers don’t set the price. And therefore, books, reading and culture will continue to go down until they do something about the absurdity of book pricing in this country.
There are 11 Barnes & Noble locations within 50 miles of my house in Rhode Island so thankfully they haven’t fallen off the map entirely although things _are_ always changing and in just a few years time the landscape could look very different. No matter how different things look, though, I hope I’ll always have access to a bookstore. 📚
I paid $26 for a novel at Barnes and Noble. Sure the book was on Oprah’s book list, but so what. Why are the prices so expensive?
P J I think some of it has to do with the publisher.
You have to remember that some of those price factors in royalties due to the author.
There are lots of Barnes and Noble in Ohio, and they’re more popular for avid readers, teachers, university students, etc. Something about going into a book store, investing in a book, carrying it around in a bag, and taking it home just makes the people feel good lol. To be honest, a $25 membership can save you lots of money if you go there a ton. As to why they refuse to price match their website is beyond me, I think that needs to change... It’s just stupidity. Good news is we’re no longer going under. Had a lot of cuts last year and they even cut the employee discount by 20%... Whatever I guess. Cafe does really well and my store was #1 in the district.
I’ve been at one for about 6 months now and it really all depends on the person. Teachers save 20% with the teacher membership and regular membership is only good for parents and, like you said, avid readers. Unfortunately, most people only shop there like once a year or converted straight to amazon
The future of books...
PLEASE READ
" FAHRENHEIT 451 "
by Ray Bradbury...
Love books while there still around...
I'll read it on my tablet
Filip Fox you are horrible
The price is the big problem, B&N is so expensive I don't shop there often. But I love holding a book in my hands when I read it. The only reason I go to B&N despite their prices is just the fact that they usually have whatever book im looking for without my having to place a special order at my local bookstore. It's understandable that a big business just has more space than a small one. But if I have to special order it I mine as well get it from Amazon. It'll be cheaper
My problem with Barnes and Nobles is that they never have the books I want in stock.
So what's the point in ordering it in the store if I can just order it from Amazon? (Yes, I know Barnes and Nobles has a website for shopping. Unfortunately, it's selection isn't as extensive as Amazon's.)
That said, any e-book I buy will never come from Amazon, as it has a proprietary format. Rakuten/Kobo e-books or from the publisher is the way to go.
This is depressing!!! Hard copies are the best.
I like hard copies and paperbacks . I still need time to get used to reading hypertext books on nook and kindle .
I don't want to ruin my eyes with an ipad or phone.
Staring at an ipad or phone for a long time.
i love the fancy leather covers!
@@flyaway9086 The kindle paper's screen has no light and even feels slightly like paper. I think that's what most people are using for e-books.
I love reading both physical books and e-books. The Kindle is nothing like an iPad or computer screen.
Amazon killed Toys 'R Us to death...
Now it's Barnes & Nobles.
Which will be Bezos' next prey?
You
Toysrus killed themselves.
They aren't killing the grocery business, that's for sure. Whole Foods is as expensive as ever.
I never know why people blame a successful business for the closing of another.
Gerald - its Already happening, Amazon has TECH and Grocery stores that you Don't need to Pay with Cash or Credit Card, you Download an APP, Enter the Store, grab what you Want, and Leave store without having to Pay with Cash or Credit. I think SF Already has ONE and now Berkeley CA has one, I think NY has One.
and the Amazon Tech stores also Carry the Popular Books.
two years later:
b&n is doing fine again now that booktok is a thing. reading is suddenly trendy. plus, whenever I go into barnes and noble it’s crowded as heck!
I'm an employee at Barnes and Noble and yeah, the prices are the problem. Even when I want to buy something with my discount I can usually find the same thing for cheaper on our website or on amazon. Heck just the other day I went in to work to buy a few Studio Ghibli blu-rays and they were twice the price of what they were on amazon and all I had to do was wait two days.
When they closed BN here in my neighborhood,the community was never the same.Interaction,exchanging ideas,meeting people,smelling books...people stopped communicating with each other and kids stopped sharing.THAT is the sad part.