In the small Michigan city in which my family lives, Waldenbooks (aka Borders) was the only remaining "new" bookstore in town. Also, my brother's part time employer. The other local stores have either succumbed to the dismal Michigan economy or moved to used books only. This was not the fault of Borders, Inc. The Waldenbooks had been there for nearly 40 years. This means a significant drive to Ann Arbor or Lansing to find a bookstore that carries newly published material. so smaller communities are stuck without options.
As for B&N, I am greatly saddened. The problem for me is that the big boxes and Amazon were so successful that they drove smaller stores out of Denver. With the exception of the Tattered Cover, the remaining indies are very subject-specific (a feminist bookstore, one that focusses on racial issues, religious, metaphysical, used). Tattered Cover used to have a great SF/F section, but it is now the worst I've ever seen in a store of its kind.
I think the publishers have done this to themselves to a certain extent. The recent push toward ebooks is curtailing the market. Add to that the fact that it comes during a bad economy when people are buying fewer "extras" anyway and the result is a failing market.
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mmmag
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 03:52 pm (UTC)As for B&N, I am greatly saddened. The problem for me is that the big boxes and Amazon were so successful that they drove smaller stores out of Denver. With the exception of the Tattered Cover, the remaining indies are very subject-specific (a feminist bookstore, one that focusses on racial issues, religious, metaphysical, used). Tattered Cover used to have a great SF/F section, but it is now the worst I've ever seen in a store of its kind.
I think the publishers have done this to themselves to a certain extent. The recent push toward ebooks is curtailing the market. Add to that the fact that it comes during a bad economy when people are buying fewer "extras" anyway and the result is a failing market.