Barnes & Noble is killing itself

[SummerMadness]

Barnes & Noble is killing itself

I’ve been chronicling the slow demise of B&N for years now, watching the company bleed out, drop by drop, until it has become a shell of its former value. B&N was a cultural center in places without cultural centers. It was a stopover on rainy days in New York, Chicago, and Cleveland and it was a place you could go to get your kids’ first books.

That’s mostly over now. On Monday the company laid off 1,800 people. This offered a cost savings of $40 million. But that’s particularly interesting. That means each of those people made an average of $22,000 or so per year and minimum wage workers – hourly folks who are usually hit hardest during post-holiday downturns – would be making $15,000. In fact, what B&N did was fire all full time employees at 781 stores.

 

[morse86]

B&N is obsolete. More consumers prefer audio and digital books. Most people are busy and do not have time to visit a brick & mortar store , this is where amazon wins (even if it's the cost is few dollars more).

They could've stayed relevant and actually competed but I think management is disconnected with reality, usually are with these types of companies (ex: Amiga).

 

[SummerMadness]

B&N is obsolete. More consumers prefer audio and digital books. Most people are busy and do not have time to visit a brick & mortar store , this is where amazon wins (even if it's the cost is few dollars more).

They could've stayed relevant and actually competed but I think management is disconnected with reality, usually are with these types of companies (ex: Amiga).

Their online sales did not perform well either. I agree, retail stores are in decline due to more online shopping. Unfortunately, losing a job at these stores does not translate being able to transition into other jobs, especially in an online store where customer interaction is almost non-existent.

 

[morse86]

Their online sales did not perform well either. I agree, retail stores are in decline due to more online shopping. Unfortunately, losing a job at these stores does not translate being able to transition into other jobs, especially in an online store where customer interaction is almost non-existent.

There are lot's of other places hiring. Lot's, for the last 6000 years.

I think we as a society needs to understand Job vs Work. Work is available everywhere. Bible commands us to work 6 days a week. God expects us to work and give it all we got 6 days of the week.

The world wants to be like France, but God wants you to work.

 

[SummerMadness]

There are lot's of other places hiring. Lot's, for the last 6000 years.

I think we as a society needs to understand Job vs Work. Work is available everywhere. Bible commands us to work 6 days a week. God expects us to work and give it all we got 6 days of the week.

The world wants to be like France, but God wants you to work.

What jobs are available to someone with years interacting with customers when there are fewer jobs with those requirements? This is not a philosophical discussion about jobs versus work. We're also seeing manufacturing jobs leaving, so what industry should these people move toward?

 

[Kentonio]

There are lot's of other places hiring. Lot's, for the last 6000 years.

I think we as a society needs to understand Job vs Work. Work is available everywhere. Bible commands us to work 6 days a week. God expects us to work and give it all we got 6 days of the week.

The world wants to be like France, but God wants you to work.

France has very high worker productivity. Working long hours can often result in lower productivity. Happy, well rested people work harder.

 

[Rubiks]

B&N is obsolete. More consumers prefer audio and digital books. Most people are busy and do not have time to visit a brick & mortar store , this is where amazon wins (even if it's the cost is few dollars more).

They could've stayed relevant and actually competed but I think management is disconnected with reality, usually are with these types of companies (ex: Amiga).

Am I the only one who prefers reading something of considerable length in print form? Digital books and articles are nearly impossible to navigate.

 

[Athanasius377]

Print media in general is declining as a whole. B&N is going the way of Borders. I loved Borders, great selection and staff where you could find a far deeper catalog than anything offered by B&N. Good bookstores are becoming more niche as nationwide chains are declining.

 

[pgp_protector]

Am I the only one who prefers reading something of considerable length in print form? Digital books and articles are nearly impossible to navigate.

I much more like print computer language manuals vs digital, as I can mark & keep em open on the desk while I work.

 

[ripple the car]

I still love books. And actual shopping trips.

 

[bhsmte]

Competition is hard. Nothing new here. Consumer markets evolve and to stay competitive, companies need to adapt and make the right decisions.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

I still love books. And actual shopping trips.

Me too. My house is filled to the brim with books. Bookshelf after bookshelf full of books. I also love to go to Barnes & Noble with my children. We go whenever we can. It's one of our favorite bookstores.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Am I the only one who prefers reading something of considerable length in print form? Digital books and articles are nearly impossible to navigate.

No, I prefer them, too.

Me too. My house is filled to the brim with books. Bookshelf after bookshelf full of books. I also love to go to Barnes & Noble with my children. We go whenever we can. It's one of our favorite bookstores.

Looking back on my childhood and looking forward to the future when we would probably have kids, I see a lot of value in having media visible on shelves, available for kids to explore. I spent countless hours thumbing through all kinds of random stuff we had around the house, and while I never really listened to much of my dad's music (his taste and buying habits are objectively bad), I do remember flipping through his boxes and boxes of garage sale-acquired records and looking at the album art. There's really no good way to do that with digital.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Looking back on my childhood and looking forward to the future when we would probably have kids, I see a lot of value in having media visible on shelves, available for kids to explore. I spent countless hours thumbing through all kinds of random stuff we had around the house, and while I never really listened to much of my dad's music (his taste and buying habits are objectively bad), I do remember flipping through his boxes and boxes of garage sale-acquired records and looking at the album art. There's really no good way to do that with digital.

I wholeheartedly believe in a hands on education for my children and I have provided them with enough educational material to last them a lifetime. I'm always finding new and creative material for them. We go to bookstores, new and old, to search for new books and other educational materials. We're a very eclectic homeschooling family and our massive book collection stems from 13 years of homeschooling. My husband jokingly said that he was surprised our house foundation didn't collapse from the weight of all the books we have. We have all kinds of educational material in our home and a lot (and I emphasize a lot) of Harry Potter memorabilia too. My family and I have been fans of HP for years and we've included him and his magical world into our lives for as long as we've been fans.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Book stores are suffering for the same reason that libraries (where books don't cost $40+) are suffering.

The internet has made many of those institutions partially unneeded. What used to be a night of going to there or the Borders to meet with friends over coffee and discuss something you're reading, could easily be done with laptops from a regular coffee shop or at someone's house.

The internet is an absolute game changer with respect to access to information.

Some people still prefer the nostalgia of physical books over e-books and reading on a computer, however...the same is true that some people still prefer to own the physical disc rather than streaming all of their music, but that doesn't negate the impact that Pandora and Spotify have had on the market.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Book stores are suffering for the same reason that libraries (where books don't cost $40+) are suffering.

The internet has made many of those institutions partially unneeded. What used to be a night of going to there or the Borders to meet with friends over coffee and discuss something you're reading, could easily be done with laptops from a regular coffee shop or at someone's house.

The internet is an absolute game changer with respect to access to information.

Some people still prefer the nostalgia of physical books over e-books and reading on a computer, however...the same is true that some people still prefer to own the physical disc rather than streaming all of their music, but that doesn't negate the impact that Pandora and Spotify have had on the market.

I think libraries get kind of short shrift. I didn't visit one for probably 20 years, but then I met my wife who reads voraciously (well over 100 books/yr) and who visits the library all the time. Now that I visit semi-regularly, I appreciate how great they are, and I think a lot more people would appreciate them if they made the effort to visit them.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

My children and I go to the local library practically every day and we read books, not digital or audio books, after we've finished with our homework lessons. We love to come home with our arms full of library books and movies. Of course, we use the internet and we use digital and audio books every now and then, but I insist that we use literal books to hold in our hands. We have two local libraries close to our house, but we prefer to drive 45 miles to our favorite library in Denton.

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

Books don't run out of batteries on the train or in the airport. And they don't break if you drop them.

 

[jayem]

I like books, and (by my last count) am closing in on 2,000 volumes in my home library. 90% of which I've acquired from book fairs and estate sales for just a few bucks each. I found a 1st edition of Roots, autographed by Alex Haley, in fine condition with the dust jacket for $2. On eBay, that goes for around $200.

 

[SummerMadness]

Working in research, there isn't much time to for me to do free reading, so I borrow audiobooks from the library and use that while I commute. I've been tearing through fiction and nonfiction lately.

I do agree about the ideas having physical media so your children have something tangible to play with, but audiobooks (haven't done e-books) are quite good. I used to think it's "cheating" but it's the same as picking up the book and reading it yourself. The main thing is that you're paying attention... similar to when you're reading a book and not just reading the words on the page without understanding the sentences and ideas presented.