Saturday, April 12, 2008
Chrislands/Abebooks merger
From Auctionbytes.com
This had been rumored for a while, but has finally gone through. Abebooks maintains that the pricing and services of Chrislands will not change, but time will tell. Chrislands offered many smaller bookstores a gateway to the web with their easy hosting setup and database management. Chrislands was easy, but simple, and their services were limited. Perhaps Abebooks will allow them to offer more robust packages.
Online bookselling site Abebooks.com has acquired Chrislands, a business that builds, hosts and maintains online bookstores, the fourth acquisition in four years.
This had been rumored for a while, but has finally gone through. Abebooks maintains that the pricing and services of Chrislands will not change, but time will tell. Chrislands offered many smaller bookstores a gateway to the web with their easy hosting setup and database management. Chrislands was easy, but simple, and their services were limited. Perhaps Abebooks will allow them to offer more robust packages.
Labels: abebooks, antiquarian bookselling, chrislands, retail, web
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Bauman Books heads to the Strip
From SeattlePI
If you've ever been in a Bauman Books store, you know they mean business. I'm not sure if I'm happy or a little freaked out by this. I just can't imagine a high roller from Texas winning big at the craps table and running over to Bauman's and blowing ten grand on modern firsts.
If you've ever been in a Bauman Books store, you know they mean business. I'm not sure if I'm happy or a little freaked out by this. I just can't imagine a high roller from Texas winning big at the craps table and running over to Bauman's and blowing ten grand on modern firsts.
Labels: antiquarian bookselling, Bauman's, Las Vegas, retail
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Why Independent Bookstores Matter
http://chronicle.com/review/brainstorm/index.php?id=166
This article touches on something I have thought a lot about; retailers like WalMart, Costco, etc. are the country's leading brick and mortar booksellers (sad, isn't it? Amazon is #1 overall). With megasellers like these leading the way, the titles you see for sale in the store are going to be safe sellers (read: boring) like Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Danielle Steele, etc. If we're lucky, we might even see cutting-edge writing from the vaunted vault of Oprah's Book Club.
The author goes on to argue that it is the job, no, the responsibility of the independents to maintain variety. I couldn't agree more, and would add that it's the responsibility of the used independents to keep the old classics alive, as well as give birth to new classics.
One sticking point in this article:
I see what she's saying, but it is silly to think shopping online is the wrong way to buy books. Brick and mortars and online sellers work together very nicely - a customer will shop at their local, see a few titles they like, and order online. They usually save a few dollars in the process. Yes, I realize the B&M missed a sale, but the customer bought a book, and hopefully read it. The transaction is keeping the tradition alive, and I am willing to bet the customer picked up a few things while browsing the aisles as well. Bookselling is a totally different enterprise these days. Online booksellers are not going away, and it is up to the B&Ms to adapt.
Nearly every big online bookseller (Amazon, Abebooks, Alibris, etc) suggest other titles you might like based on what you have purchased and what you have looked at.
This article touches on something I have thought a lot about; retailers like WalMart, Costco, etc. are the country's leading brick and mortar booksellers (sad, isn't it? Amazon is #1 overall). With megasellers like these leading the way, the titles you see for sale in the store are going to be safe sellers (read: boring) like Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Danielle Steele, etc. If we're lucky, we might even see cutting-edge writing from the vaunted vault of Oprah's Book Club.
The author goes on to argue that it is the job, no, the responsibility of the independents to maintain variety. I couldn't agree more, and would add that it's the responsibility of the used independents to keep the old classics alive, as well as give birth to new classics.
One sticking point in this article:
What about the “convenience” of ordering books over the Internet? Unless you order your fresh fruit over the Web, meet your friends and lovers via Web sites, and would trust your medicines to an on-line pharmacy, you are treating your intellectual life with less respect than you treat your other appetites and needs. What about the book that’s shelved next to the one you were actually looking for — what if that other book is the one to change your life?
I see what she's saying, but it is silly to think shopping online is the wrong way to buy books. Brick and mortars and online sellers work together very nicely - a customer will shop at their local, see a few titles they like, and order online. They usually save a few dollars in the process. Yes, I realize the B&M missed a sale, but the customer bought a book, and hopefully read it. The transaction is keeping the tradition alive, and I am willing to bet the customer picked up a few things while browsing the aisles as well. Bookselling is a totally different enterprise these days. Online booksellers are not going away, and it is up to the B&Ms to adapt.
Nearly every big online bookseller (Amazon, Abebooks, Alibris, etc) suggest other titles you might like based on what you have purchased and what you have looked at.
Labels: bookselling, business, retail, small business, Why Independent Bookstores Matter
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]