Barnes and Noble For Sale

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Wed August 4th, 2010, 5:24 pm

Barnes and Noble is putting itself up for sale:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/busin ... s.html?hpw

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Wed August 4th, 2010, 6:11 pm

I wonder what this means for all of us?

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Wed August 4th, 2010, 9:07 pm

From the article it sounds like a lot of board room backstabbing is going on. I've worked in several Fortune 200 companies at the executive level and it can be brutal up there--one of the reasons I turned in my gray flannel suit.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Thu August 5th, 2010, 11:46 pm

Up for sale doesn't necessarily mean going under.

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Thu August 5th, 2010, 11:56 pm

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Up for sale doesn't necessarily mean going under.[/quote]

No, and I wonder what the market share of the different types of outlets actually is. I've read a lot of opinion, but very few statistics. I remember reading a few years ago that Amazon had 5% of the market. How much do they have now? How much do supermarkets have?

Still, there's no denying high street bookstores have been disappearing. A few years ago there were two Waterstone's, one very large, a Borders, again very large, and a Books Etc on Oxford Street. The only one to survive is the Books Etc, which is now a Waterstone's, and not a very big one, either.

Aren't B&N publishers too?

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Fri August 6th, 2010, 12:20 am

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Up for sale doesn't necessarily mean going under.[/quote]

No, but my guess is that it does mean things aren't going well...... I do hope B&N doesn't disappear, though. I want more than just one big bookstore (Border's) in my city (even if I do buy nearly all my books online!) and I have always preferred B & N, anyway. I can't explain it, except I like just the ambience better.

parthianbow · Post by **parthianbow** » Fri August 6th, 2010, 11:01 am

[quote=""Michy""]I want more than just one big bookstore (Border's) in my city (even if I do buy nearly all my books online!) [/quote]

Have cake and want to eat it?

I too hope that B & N doesn't go under. The UK part of Borders already did last year, leaving only two major booksellers on the country's high streets: Waterstone's and WH Smiths.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Fri August 6th, 2010, 1:12 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]
. A few years ago there were two Waterstone's, one very large, a Borders, again very large, and a Books Etc on Oxford Street. The only one to survive is the Books Etc, which is now a Waterstone's, and not a very big one, either.
Aren't B&N publishers too?[/quote]

Its been years since my last visit, but when we were in London last time, strolling down Charing Cross, we noticed 3 BN or Borders within a mile of each other. If they start going down, maybe the used book businesses in the area will start coming back (tho as I say, its been years; how is that area doing? Are there any of the used stores left?)

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri August 6th, 2010, 1:22 pm

Perhaps there are just too many bookstores in the same area? I know Charing Cross Road is famous for its' bookshops, but seeing as how they are all selling pretty much the same thing, I think it's inevitable that one or two will disappear. I haven't been down there for ages either, but the rents as usual are astronomical, so I wouldn't be surprised is the used book stores have gone.

sweetpotatoboy · Post by **sweetpotatoboy** » Fri August 6th, 2010, 3:37 pm

There are still quite a few used book stores on Charing Cross Road. The Borders on Charing Cross Road is now closed; the flagship one round the corner on Oxford Street closed a few months previously. But yes, to have both of those so near one another, plus at least one nearby Books etc, which I think was also owned by them, was too much. This leaves just Foyles and Blackwells on that stretch now.
There was also a Waterstones by Tottenham Court Road station, which is very close to their flagship store on Gower Street, but it's now gone as they work on expanding the station for Crossrail.