Once nearly bankrupt, Barnes & Noble is bouncing back

I worked for B&N for years. They had a really dedicated customer base that loved the stores early on, as they were expanding.

At some point around 1998 or so, the leadership changed and it was, as we all often said, no longer a bookstore or bookseller, it was a big box store that happened to sell books.

I really thought B&N brick and mortar was dead so it's fascinating to see some growth returning. I think many of the newer stores are smaller, so they'll be somewhere between the old Walden/B Dalton type places and the big B&N behemoths of the 90s/00s.

I had no idea that they'd bought Tattered Cover in Denver. Interesting development.....that's a big indie store that might have clues as to their future direction.

PS Was your post from an article, OP? I don't see a link. It mentions a "Kindle knockoff" but Nook predated Kindle. Obviously, Kindle's integration with Amazon made it much more successful.

Excellent.

R1 Yes it was from an article - I tried to post the link (it was an independent news station ) but everytime I pasted it in the link, it would post. It only posted when I removed it. It was also a 'news story' on NPR yesterday, with more detail. One of the spokespeople they interviewed said by the 2000s, they were selling everything except books to stay afloat thanks to Amazon. Blankets, stuffed animals, even women's handbags and luggage in some areas. She said they were desperate, and were skidding off the rails for a while and thought for certain they would go the way of Borders'.

I'd post the NPR link I found but I want to choke the bitch talking and her vocal fry.

The B&N chain was primarily responsible for the demise of hundreds of independent book stores from 1990- 2010. Ironic that they were on the brink of collapse due to digital print and online buying options. Adding other goods to their products was a good idea. There are only 4 left in Manhattan, but I recall they had about 10 stores in the past.

Sad that they closed the Philly store on Rittenhouse Square. The new location feels cheap.

[quote] I'd post the NPR link I found but I want to choke the bitch talking and her vocal fry.

She was awful. Earlier this week they ran the full interview which was tough to listen to. Then I heard it a few more times, but they were just including snippets from the full interview, which made it easier.

Apparently it's difficult to maintain a profitable big store bookstore. There was a Borders bookstore at the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle which closed about 12 years ago. More recently Amazon Books opened a store at that location, and it closed after 2 years. Making it a destination for other things such as in-house cafe and miscellaneous fun stuff probably helps get repeat customers.

I always enjoyed the music and film selection over the books. Where else can I find the Criterion Collection?

[quote]There was a Borders bookstore at the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle which closed about 12 years ago.

Because all Borders bookstores closed.

In the 1990s B&N, Borders, and Starbucks were relatively new to the area where I lived. All three had plenty of chairs, sofas, etc. and seemed to really encourage patrons to linger/hang out.

That seemed monumental to me.

Then, a few years later, that all changed.

Weird question but does anyone recall what the original name of Borders was in the mid-80s ? I remember when our first one opened in our area. I believe it was called something like 'Brohen Books'. Then there was a big publicity push in the store saying 'we're changing our name to 'Borders' (which I thought was odd since it was so similar to the original) in the late 80s. I've tried to find this info online, but nothing come up.

I loved Borders. I was really sad when the one near my house closed.

Borders began in Ann Arbor in the early 80s.

R13, I left jizz stains in the XY magazine of the last Borders store I was at!

Ooh you nasty, r15!

XY magazine! There’s a throwback I haven’t thought about in quite sometime.

If anyone ever gets to Austin (yeah, I know - it’s in Texas), I implore you to visit BookPeople. It’s a huge indie bookstore downtown and is the kind of shop that encourages hours of browsing, like in the olden days (I’m thinking of my super nerd bookstore browsing days in the late 80s). Also has a massive magazine rack, a coffee shop, gifts, and plenty of parking. And author signings, etc. When Hillary signed her first book, the line was out to door and down the block.

Having said that, I rejoice at even a large bookseller bouncing back.

I went to the Borders at the World Trade Center in early September 2001, and then it died.

Brentano's. Book Store to the Stars. Miss it every day.

Pfft!

Farley's Book Store in New Hope PA. A complete, disorganized mess but you can spend hours in there browsing. If they don't have the book you're looking for, they'll get it for you.

They must own the building they're in. Otherwise, they would have been replaced by some useless tchotchke shop like so many others in New Hope.

FYI Criterion sale at B&N - 50% off - until December 2.

R23 Good reminder about the semi-annual Criterion sale. Over the last 10 or so years I purchased perhaps at least 50 Criterion DVDs and Blu-Rays.

I miss book stores. I used to spend my Saturdays in college in the local Borders megastore.

There's still one B. Dalton left, just outside Orlando. I think Barnes and Noble said they keep it open under that name, rather than renaming it Barnes and Noble, for trademark reasons in case they ever want to do anything with that name in the future.

That Columbus Circle Amazon store was an embarrassment. The company had no clue about how people shop in bookstores.

I love my local Barnes and Noble and shop regularly with my premium membership. When I order books online, I order from Barnes and Noble exclusively now, after several Amazon books arrived damaged. Barnes and Nobles know how to ship a book so that covers don’t get bent or crushed. Amazon does not. Hard to believe Amazon started as an online book retailer, because their book shipments are terrible now.

Glad to see BN surviving.

Farley's in New Hope is SO GOOD, R22!

Last summer I was visiting friends who live nearby, we went shopping in New Hope, and I bought three books at Farley's, just because of the way they grouped and presented titles.

I can't remember the last time I bought books in a store. Big fan.