I visited Barnes and Noble a total of three times in the first week the store was open. I don't expect this to be a continuing trend, but I have thought that it might be a good place for me to spend an hour once a week for the sake of a change of scenery, and perhaps the opportunity to do more writing. I still have an incomplete in Theory of the Novel hanging over me, after all, assuming I ever actually go back to the University.
Last Sunday as I was trying to return a slightly overdue item to the public library before church, I couldn't get the problem out of my head. I was listening to a story on NPR concerning the lack of American long distance runners competing on the international level, and so the sports analogy has stuck with me.
What does BAM do the moment the rumor is confirmed that B&N is coming to Tuscaloosa in 2007? At that point have they already been defeated so that all they can do is maintain their current level of business until that fateful day arrives? In that case hasn't the owner of BAM in Tuscaloosa already defeated him or herself?
Surely entrepreneurs do not go into business hoping that their major competitor never makes their way into town. You are right, BAM will probably go out of business. Tuscaloosa recently lost all competitors when Cobb Theater opened a few years ago. The Bama Six held on for a short time as a $1.50 theater, but even they eventually folded. The remodeling BAM did not long ago seems a poor attempt at improving their image. I don't know whether or not this was a "global" change, or only a local attempt.
There was something else I wanted to say about this but I've totally lost it. And considering I'm supposed to be recovering from a cold, it's already way past my bedtime. That's got to be what Michael is thinking at this very moment.
7 comments:
I went to B&N this weekend, and then immediately went to BAM to comparison shop. I was looking for an ESV Classic Reference Bible. Their prices were identical. The differences in the number of customers was stark. BAM was practically dead, while B&N was a bee-hive.
BAM will have to do SOMETHING to set themselves apart, or they are going down. Comparitively, they are in a bad location, and have an inferior decor, and are less "hip."
Yes, this is exactly what I've been getting at. Of course the price difference has to do with the amount of money each store charges for membership, and the percentage discounts that are taken at the register, not the price listed on the books themselves. I don't have the figures, but I'm thinking BAM's membership is $10 or $15 whereas B&Ns is $25 or $30.
BAM is definitely less hip. I feel young, wealthy, intellectual and cool walking into B&N. Pitiful, isn't it? I'm only actually one, possibly two, of those things.
Books-a-Millions still exist all over the place, so I guess what I'm really concerned about is the poeple who are employed there. The desperation I detected on a visit shortly before the new store opened when the lady at the checkout asked me if I wanted to renew my membership.
I think BAM could benefit from doing more special events. They host a Yugioh "tournament" each Saturday, and possibly a few other things. If they actually took those things seriously, organized them better, and did more events of varying kinds they could certainly keep a strong customer base. Of course, they (our local store) may have to hire at least one other person to do these things, which they are not likely to do. Being stingy with their budget will only guarantee their doom now that a B&N is in town.
I've just done the difficult research and confirmed the numbers. BAM charges $15.00 to join the club, and membership gives you an additional 10% off all purchases in addition to everday advertised percentage discounts. B&N provides more detail on their website, although I had more difficulty in finding it. Their membership fee is $25, just as I thought, but they offer 40% off the list price on some items, 20% on others, and 10% on most everything else. Looks to me as though the percentage discounts are comparable between the two chains. Only the membership fee is higher for one than for the other.
Yeah, BAM is probably on their way out. I think I'll start hanging out there now just to buck the system. Some of us thrive on not doing the popular thing until it becomes unpopular.
Now we get to one of the issues that really interests me. What can an small merchant do to draw business in this big merchant world. Thanks for the suggestion.
These websites (www.booksamillion.com and www.barnesandnoble.com) have a lot of fun stuff on them, by the way, which I'll have to check out sometimes. One of the things I've always enjoyed about amazon's website is the ability to read the customer reviews. Some of the reviewers actually seem to know what they are talking about. Back when I was doing research on Le Morte D'Arthur for a class, I found one review that referenced other materials that were useful to my research. That's not to say that I didn't check the information out before using it.
When I was listing bookstores within three miles of our apartment before, I forgot about one more Barnes and Noble near our grocery store. So actually three of the five bookstores near my apartment are B&N.
I'm sure once the novelty wears off the new B&N will wind up just like BAM-- a coffee shop with a library attached. I suggest you just enjoy avoiding the crowd for a while and see how things play out.
But, like Michael said, BAM will have to do things B&N doesn't if they want to stay in business. If I had any great ideas in this area I'd probably be in the consulting business.
Post a Comment