Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Frances Grimble, San Francisco, CA — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:07:05 GMT

There was an area near UC Berkeley that used to be incredible for independent bookstores. When my husband and I were students, once a week or so, on Friday or Saturday evening, we used to do what we called the
bookstore crawl. We did it in the order the bookstores closed for the night. That meant that first we walked to Shakespeare & Co., whose selection we didn't like much for some reason, so we hardly ever bought anything. Then we went to Moe's and Cody's. Moe's at the time focused entirely on used books, which were not well organized. In the depths of their basement you might find anything--but not if you were actively
looking for it.

Cody's focused mostly on new books, was well organized, and had a great selection from a college student's point of view. They had, for example, a large selection of history and biography, meaty
books, not popular fluff. They also had a great section of books for writers and editors, which I was to visit much more often after I graduated from college. Cody's would special order anything in print,
which at the time was unusual, and which was very useful to me. Cody's was the best independent bookstore I've ever been in, in my life.

However, there were also other bookstores near the university. The UC Berkeley bookstore trade book section was very large. Then there was another large independent where all the books were organized by
publisher. They had a great selection of university press and scholarly books, but unless you knew not only exactly what title you were looking
for but who published it, it was a pain to find anything there.

My husband and I now live in San Francisco, and it became inconvenient to drive over to the area near UC Berkeley. For years we still went there every couple of months or so, on a weekend. But it was almost
impossible to park anywhere near the university, which dampened our enthusiasm.

Now Cody's has gone out of business, although they did still have a small store elsewhere in Berkeley last time I heard--and were planning to move to a yet smaller location. Moe's is still there. I'm not sure
about some of the others.

Some of the excellent independents in Palo Alto (near Stanford University), including Printer's Ink, and a Stacey's specializing in computer books, have also closed. Printer's Ink was a great "literary"
bookstore, with a large selection of foreign books translated into English, among other things. It was within walking distance of two companies I used to work at. I bought a lot of novels at Printer's Ink
at lunchtime and after work.

I think the decline in independent bookstores in an area that was once well known for them, is a function not only of the big chain stores, but of Amazon et al. However: there is a large Borders in an urban shopping
mall about 10 blocks away from our house. (There used to be a Crown in a much smaller shopping mall three blocks from our house, where I vainly went looking for things I considered "real books," and occasionally,
though not often, found one. The Crown closed around the time the Borders opened.) The Borders isn't anywhere near as good a bookstore as Cody's was, but it's convenient. It's at least large, so there are lots of books to look at. I don't know if the Borders will stay open or not, but if not:

What the heck is happening to brick-and-mortar bookstores?

Fran
Lavolta Press
http://www.lavoltapress.com

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Jim Melanson, Milford CT — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:46:55 GMT

As much as I enjoy Borders and Barnes & Noble (the only bookstores in my area), I willingly travel 45 minutes to visit R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT because of the personable service, and I never have a problem finding what I want. I also prefer to support the mom & pop stores out of principle.

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Juli, South Elgin, IL — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:52:59 GMT

Boycott Borders and Barnes & Noble!

I refuse to shop the big boxes; I instead patronize my local retailers whether for books (used book stores are my favoriet haunt), prescriptions (talking to a pharmacist who sees you as a human being instead of just another sale is a much more comforting feeling of being in good hands), cards and gifts (is there any holiday, special occasion or observance that the big plastic Gallmark "Gold" store hasn't cashed in on?), or clothing (the $180 blouse you bought at Nieman Marcus is the same blouse and was made in the same factory as the one I bought for $120 at my local women's shop, where the clerk brought me various styles to try on while I was in the dressing room instead of my having to get fully dressed each time I needed to leave the dressing room to look for something else, which descriobes the stellar service you receive at most of those big box retailers that have to add the cost of mall space and corporate overhead to the price tag that independent retailers don't).

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

JuleS, South Elgin, IL — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:04:09 GMT

Yes, Borders and Barnes are killing off the independants, just as WalMart and Meijer are killing the independent drugstores and local variety stores.

But do those independant retailers get the same consideration that US farmers do? No.

There are no subsidies provided to merchants who are driven out of business by foreign-owned corporate entities, yet many farmers are paid -- making far more than your average retail worker or even store owner -- because they supposedly are being driven out of business by foreign imports. And why that scenario? Because we can buy the food cheaper elsewhere.

But that's not the American Way for EVERYONE in America, is it? Only for a select group whose Congressional representatives have more pull or louder mouths than their counterparts in other regions. So the farm has been in the family since Washington crossed the Delaware... how many now-shuttered retail businesses had been in their families almost as long?

Farming is just like any other business; it's a risk, it's a gamble, and it's up to the business owner to make it work -- NOT the government and certainly not taxpayers like me who have our own bills to pay and are sick and damn tired of everyone else getting a handout because they whined the loudest.

Pull yourselves up by those bootstraps we hear so much about, Mr. Subsidy Farmer, and earn an honest living like the rest of us!

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Steve Quinn, Providence, RI — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:48:13 GMT

You just understood this was happening? You think this is a revelation? Apparently you're like those Wilmington office workers who never leave their offices. Independents have been closing in this way for over 10 years.

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Kay — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:32:10 GMT

I LOVE supporting independent book sellers, but there are absolutely none anywhere near me. Therefore, because neither Borders nor B&N ever stock anything I want, I shop online retailers. No tax, no shipping. It's not my preference, but it's become the easiest solution for me.

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Scott Travis, Denver, CO — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:47:35 GMT

Many small independent retailers are thriving on the internet selling books in the Amazon Marketplace. These retailers have remained nimble and found ways to stay in business by realizing that they are not in the business of providing an eclectic shop for people to feel smart in, but in the business of selling enough books to make some money.

Did Borders kill the small, downtown bookstore?

Carol Giglio, basking ridge,nj — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:57:12 GMT

This decline is a common problem for many small
independent stores. After 20yrs we find our sales
down 50%from 6 yrs ago. A small country store in
Hackettstown,NJ, we contend with Homegoods,(tjx corp}
with over a 1000 store buying power. Walmart, we all know.A change in demographics, a sick economy and no place we can afford to get help. A NJ economy where grants are a vague memory. Our customers love us, our prices are as low as possible, our marketing budget is cut to the bone.
We, at 60, do all the physical hauling of furniture,
make many of the crafts, shop like we are shopping for ourself, and are truly concerned with the wants & needs of our customers. What do you do when people just don't walk down Main St anymore? We sell
things that many people can afford that give them
comfort in their home, Americana, to many of the mothers whose kids are off fighting. Mostly people want to feel comfortable & talk and get old fashioned service. They want the look they see in the decorating magazines at the best price. I know I'm going on & on, but after 20 yrs of hard work, it's sad to face. Is it really worth the fight to stay open, when so many other small mom & pop places are closing? Does anyone out there really care if small town America retail economy is void of
Main St? A quaint college town, like ours, will soon
look like every other town, and the flavor of
independent America will be lost.

g