Barnes & Noble's big new idea to save publishing?

[Brian G Turner]

We all know digital books have become a mainstay of the modern publishing industry, but Barnes & Noble have retreated from this area in recent years.

But don't worry, B&N reportedly have a new plan to save he book publishing industry - open up restaurants in their book stores:

Barnes & Noble is pivoting to… restaurants?!

I suspect this must be a joke. Traditional publishing already struggles to come to terms the 21st century. This story, if true, would mean B&N refuse to even acknowledge it.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Maybe it's going to be INSTEAD of books?
A historic specialist tobacconist shop here (used to make the products) is diversifying into stocking specialist teas.
News from LAST year
Ireland’s oldest tobacco shop to stub out cigarettes - Business - Limerick Leader

But they are in the local news this month about their new ranges of teas.

August 2015 News
Opened in 1870, Cahill’s sells more than 50 varieties of tobacco, snuff and cigarettes. Cahill’s starting selling cigarettes in 1891.

When legislation came in outlawing the display of tobacco products, Cahill’s was one of only four shops in Ireland which secured a derogation to allow the display.
But in return, it meant Eleanor was unable to sell anything else apart from these.
However, she is now stubbing out cigarettes so she can return to selling “gentleman’s gifts” including Swiss army knives and hipflasks.
On top of this, coffee, tea and shaving equipment will be sold.
Tobacco and snuff will remain available to buy in store, as the derogation covers only the sale and display of cigarettes.
When the law first came in, Eleanor said she could not afford not to sell cigarettes. But this has changed.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Perhaps B&N are planning a new range of edible books.

 

[ctg]

My dream is to open a cocktail bar or a similar thing next to a comic/genre book shop. So not a bad idea for B&N.

 

[Wiglaf]

So, like the coffee shops in the Borders bookstores. The ones that are out of business.

Why don't they seek out a merger with a publishing house allowing them to vertically integrate?

 

[ratsy]

Well, I would much rather see that 70 year old couple each reading a book than sitting there staring at the wall instead of talking. Or the Millennials reading a book rather than eating with their cell phones in their faces.

I just want to know what happens when I spill spaghetti on the new Stephen King?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

My dream is to open a cocktail bar or a similar thing next to a comic/genre book shop.

Why not do both?
I suppose you need capital and an Alcohol licence. You don't need a permit to sell comics?

 

[Brian G Turner]

So, like the coffee shops in the Borders bookstores. The ones that are out of business.

That is such a good point - if serving drinks in a bookshop didn't work over a decade ago, why would serving drinks and food suddenly turn things around now for B&N??

There is a lot of risk in starting a new business, but restaurants have always had the biggest failure rate of all the mainstream business models.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

but restaurants have always had the biggest failure rate of all the mainstream business models.

Yes, I think I read that Café type shops and independent Clothes/Boutiques account for 75% of failures and most fail in first year.

 

[Overread]

Thing is when you look at the highstreet of today - certainly in the UK - its food outlets that are holding on. If you can serve good affordable (or expensive if its coffee ) food then chances are you can keep the lights on and pay your rates and overheads because you've got continual customers going through the shop.

Most other hobby/specialist interest or even general interest stores have a lot of trouble otherwise keeping up enough trade to cover overheads (esp rates and rent and tax). In the last years I've seen a lot of hobby or interest stores either flat out close up or steadily move further and further from the desirable into the somewhat poorer commercial areas of towns. The products still sell; but online sales coupled with increased costs to run a shop mean many are just closing up - with a good few closing up the store and going online because at least there they can run it from home with vastly reduced overheads compared to a highstreet store.



So I can see why they are considering food outlets within their stores. Because food is something digital sales can't take away from; its something that can continually provide income day in and day out and which; if run right; should be a more steady stream of income

 

[MWagner]

Canada's version of Barnes & Noble, Chapters, has shifted largely into a boutique gift shop. Tea tins, plush pillows, fancy stationary, boxes of toffee, candles, scarves. Interesting assumption, presumably backed up my market research, about who the market for hard copy books is today: women with money looking to treat themselves.

 

[DaveWallace]

I hope they can find a viable answer; I'd hate for bookstores to go extinct. I do like actually being able to go to a bookstore and browse. There's just something about that experience, and about holding a real physical book rather than a reader.

 

[Overread]

Browsing is a lot of fun - sadly these days;
1) Many retailers don't have the overhead capital to invest into niche-markets as such you get a lot of the popular common stuff appearing. Which means specialist interest is often mail-order; there just isn't as much to brows on unless your local is really really big

2) Many people brows and then buy on their phone - or they browse and go home and mull it over some more and make an instant purchase on the computer.

3) Many people buy online because its cheaper; because its quicker (in that instant its done - sure you have to wait for it but you don't have to drive for an hour to the shops to find out "if" they might have it and then drive back)

4) Online prices are nearly always significantly/noticeably cheaper (much as we like to support local retailers; cheaper prices still attract us in general).


And that's all added to the higher and higher rents and rates on retailers. It's a squeeze at both ends and coupled to that I think a lot of urban areas don't wnat their central shopping centres. They'd rather have them on the ring-road where they are out of the way; and a LOT easier to manage the flow of traffic for; instead of in the middle of urban areas really not designed to take the volume of daily traffic that they do [esp whilst public transport is still expensive or limited; and where park-and-ride don't stop everyone going into the middle of town to shop)

 

[pambaddeley]

You can also add to that - although traditional secondhand bookshops have mostly closed down (because of the competition with charity shops) the huge growth of charity shops in the UK all selling books often very cheaply and sometimes with shops specialising in books (Oxfam) means that people usually wander round there first to see if they can pick them up dirt cheap.

The whole recesssion/austerity escalated this trend I believe.

 

[Overread]

True and charity shops are on the rise; free staff for many; free stock; and they are exempt from certain taxes too. So with far fewer overheads they are more than able to charge very little and survive. I know towns where there's 10 or so charity shops on the highstreet in prime locations.
Heck there are places on Amazon now selling secondhand (lots of old library but other stock) books for £0.01. The postage is a few pounds; but add up a block all at once and the price is so insanely low that no retailer could compete.

 

[Nick B]

I just want to know what happens when I spill spaghetti on the new Stephen King?

I had to read that twice, after wondering if spilling spaghetti on famous people was a common worry for you...

 

[ratsy]

Id be happy to be in a position to spill spaghetti on Mr. King!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

It could be like those Japanese restaurants but instead off eating food of a woman they could have special nights where you eat it off of a famous author

 

[ratsy]

It could be like those Japanese restaurants but instead off eating food of a woman they could have special nights where you eat it off of a famous author

In that case can I make a switch from Stephen King?

 

[AnyaKimlin]

In that case can I make a switch from Stephen King?

Don't fancy eating your spagetti off him?