Now, Barnes and Noble has come to a similar juncture. The last large-scale brick and mortar bookstore chain has just hired a new CEO (Ron Boire) who's chief focus is to cut losses on Nook, which has been suffering financially. There are possible plans to discontinue Barnes and Noble's eBook and electronic divisions entirely.
Barnes and Noble has been discussing separating Nook from its bookstore divisions since December, when Microsoft and Nook parted ways, amidst financial turmoil. The eReader has been doing poorly for over two years, according to the NY Times. In the same article, James McQuivey at Forrester Research is quoted as saying "You're only managing how quickly it [Barnes and Noble] will continue to decline."
Is this the end of the last major bookstore chain?
In reading analyst's comments, I'm surprised by how many claim Barnes and Noble made a mistake getting into the eBook market initially. Let's not forget their ONE serious rival, who refused to embrace eBooks at all. If Barnes and Noble abandons eBooks, will it survive long-term? It's depressingly easy to envision a world where the only print books available for purchase come from the internet....
Interesting post, Chris. I hope we don't lose B & N (The Nook was my first e-reader.) And I love reading on it or my Kindle, though I'd have sworn that wouldn't be the case. Give me a "real book" or nothing at all had been my earlier claim. but time passed, and I found how much easier it is for me to see when I'm reading in either e-reader. Way less eye-strain.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the ease of purchase. It's like magic! LOL
I have readers who wait for the print version of my books, so I gotta think there are others like them out there. I can't envision a world where there are no "real books." But then I didn't believe I'd enjoy my e-readers so much. I'll share.
Thanks for stopping by and for sharing. For me, I have mixed feeling in the ereader vs print debate- I enjoy both and actively use both. For me, the bigger fear is that we might lose physical bookstores altogether- I hope it doesn't happen!
DeleteI think eventually B & N will take the path of Borders, unfortunately. And I think there will always be eBooks, just not sold perhaps by B & N. EBooks are here to stay.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Susan. I hope you'rewrong, but wouldn't be surprised if you're right. I'm a bibliophile- absolutely love books and bookstores and always have. I think one thing I wish bookstores would do is start repurposing so that they attract more than just book buyers. This is the trend right now in libraries- they're focusing on being multi-function spaces. They're re-building the main library here in Washington DC, for instance, as a space with blackbox theatres, artist studios, and a gallery. It's a cultural center, not just a library. If we could start doing something similar with bookstores, maybe they'd survive.
DeleteIt just about killed me to have to give away most of my print books when I moved into Senior Housing. There just wasn't room for them. One reason I DON'T use the library is the fact that the books have to go back when I finish them. I can't bear to part with them. With an e-reader, especially when I buy directly from the publisher, I can download them and keep them on a flash drive, and when I move the guys helping me don't complain about the number of boxes or ask if I've ever heard of a library. (My reply was, "Yes. I'm building one.") And when people tell me they can't see the print, I always show them how to make the print larger on e-readers. My 80 y-o sister actually read my last book on her hubby's tablet! Anyway, I think BN's cutting off their nose, etc. I'm sure their losses are coming more from bricks and mortar than e-books, which is sad. I used to wait for certain books to come out and run to the bookstore to buy them. And, of course, I was at the openings of the Harry Potter books with my grandkids and we were all in robes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Rochelle. I agree, they're hurting themselves and it is sad. I worked at Borders during the Harry Potter releases- the store managers were so nervous that we wouldn't receive enough copies from the distirbutor, that all the employees had to go and order copies using fake names. It's a good thing Annakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) never showed up at the store- he had the most personal orders with over 70 requested books. :-)
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