At one time, New Yorkers regarded chain bookstores as corporate invaders certain to drive independently owned bookshops out of their communities.
But now it is the chain bookstores that need saving—and in one Queens neighborhood, locals are stepping up.
Forest Hills residents are trying to rescue a Barnes & Noble that appears to be on its final chapter. The business, which like all brick-and-mortar bookstores has lost sales to Amazon and other Internet retailers, is minimally profitable and faces closure when its lease expires Jan. 31.
"Saving a chain store may seem ironic at first sight, but we already lost all of our small bookstores in the area," said Michele Dore, co-founder of the new (if awkwardly named) civic association Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens—Our Communities. "This is where locals have been going to for decades. It's simply a part of Forest Hills history."
Since 1995, the store at 70-00 Austin St. has become a popular hangout spot for teens, seniors and families. But talks between Barnes & Noble and its landlord, Muss Development, have bogged down over a proposed rent increase.
“We would like to extend the store at the rent we're paying or somewhere around it,” said David Deason, vice president of development at Barnes & Noble. “As a public company, we can't afford to operate a store and lose money. We have shareholders to think about. We will stretch as far as we can go.”
But competition from e-commerce has eroded the store's elasticity. Muss Development's chief operating officer, Jeff Kay, said Barnes & Noble has received multiple rent reductions in the past.
18 comments:
There is another place with books for perusal and it is even free: The Public Library.
You can even "hang out" there and they often have special events....All without cash registers.
The Forest Hills library sucks!
So come up with a business plan that fits the usage pattern for the space currently occupied by Barnes and Noble ... if you can...
Whatever it is, I don't believe it will be an involve an inventory of 10,000 books and miscellaneous.
You can even "hang out" there
...with the throng of old retirees playing chess or cards that entirely takes over the reading area, with no regard for how loud they are, whenever the weather is too inclement to sit in MacDonald park, because going to a senior center is beneath them? No thanks.
In answer to the question posed in the title, Ebook sales have plateaued at around 25% of all book sales, while printed book sales are still growing, although very slightly.
In addition, the number of independent book shops has risen from 1,651 in 2009 to 2,094 in 2014. Astoria Bookshop is one of these new, independent book shops.
I thought Barnes and Noble was the Forest Hills Library, with everybody sitting on the floor with their coffee reading and not buying anything. Any wonder the place went out of business?
Another lost cause. Tablets have replaced books for the most part.
Then there is Amazon with their discounted online service. Hell....bricks and mortar retail might be on its last legs.
Maybe a nice Bukharian mob run club will replace it that can afford the high rent.
I stopped going to Barnes and Noble because of the mommies and strollers and loud teens. The store looked like a babysitting service at times.
"Do people even read books anymore?"
I dont reed no books no mo,
I watch my TV all dayz long!
"Decades?" It's been there for 20 years, not exactly a length of time worth whining about as if it's been a community mainstay forever. I've personally never been to it because I'd rather claw my own eyes out after eating hot wings than try to park in that area.
We don't need no edukayshan!!!
Chick Fil-A is expanding into NYC.
just another brick in the wall! figuratively of course.
when the lease expires, how many urgent medical centers will they try to fit in there?
>I watch my TV all dayz long!
Get with the times, grandpa, no one watches TV these days when they have the internet.
I thought that Michael Perlman was going to save it.
It's kind of sad. The problem is that Barnes & noble like Best buy have people check out the goods physically then by it online. They still have a wide selection of magazines that I buy but they don't discount their books. The library often don't have the latest books available because they're all checked out. Even the public libraries allow you to download e books.Strand bookstore in NYC is always packed and the cashier lines are always full so people do buy books in stores. Barnes & Noble still stick to pushing the mass market books and again they don't discount popular books that are years old. They may sell tons of Harry Potter books when they come out but even Amazon has beaten them with the pre order option. You would think as veteran booksellers they would figure things out but they're always one step behind Amazon and even the small indie booksellers. I remember about ten years ago their database for their books in their stores weren't even tied together. Each store had their own database and a store employee had to call other stores to check on a book I was looking to buy. I hope they can survive.
To da commenter on July 4th.. well said.
In fact, I think BNB need to change their business model. People using the place to check out books and read it there and then leave without paying anything..other than coffee. How r u going to make money?!!. Money talks!
It's like you pay 10k per month and let people in to read for free and then maybe by 5 bucks coffee. Meanwhile you have electricitiy to pay and staff. How will this model work. Bnb ceo need to wake up. I can take over bnb and revise the business model.
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