https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/new ... -news.html

Knowing the way private equity investors work, I suspect this will be a bad day for employees and customers of Barnes and Noble. Likely the first step in (1) improve efficiency (2) gut labor (3) close a whole bunch of stores. Even though the Barnes and Noble on my side of town seems to always have a healthy number of people milling around, I now suspect the video/music department will disappear fairly soon (as that is always the least populated area) if not the entire store. I'm expecting the next 50% off Criterion sale at Barnes and Noble will be my last. If they gut the video/audio department at my local, I will let my B&N membership expire and do all my Criterion buying during their 50% off flash sales that come twice a year.

So sorry to read this, that damm management (not the original owner) and the Nook debacle killed them. I love my B&N, go there at least 2 to 3 times a month.

And your so right JosephC how private equity works, take whatever cash is available, gut the business and then maybe return it public offering or simply close them down.

I love their sales, music mags and generally just hanging out. I support them every chance I can and I know many Imwan participants do the same.

Hell, I still miss Borders big time and I am not even over that and now this.

the internet is killing brick and mortars, killing them.

along with robotics and AI.

i hardly ever visit record stores anymore (if i can find them) order just about all my music from amazon

Very few things I feel the need to go physically shopping for these days. I don't miss all the running around at all. I will not buy dress pants online (they vary WILDLY in accuracy), and only shoes that I have already purchased the same type/brand in the past. I think that's about it. I'd never buy a car or house online either, though I will window shop for them on the web.

It’s all hell of a lot easier to buy online for sure but once again we are losing the human touch to things. Record store shopping was communal and good for the soul (hearing new music brought to you by the crew). Pressing a button just isn’t the same. A world without stores, sheesh.

We now live in a world of "Preference". What did Pete Townshend call it, the Endless Wire.

B&N ended their long time stay in my town a couple months ago. They dug their own grave with lavish items no one bought and overpriced books & music that are cheaper elsewhere.

One of the local record stores started carrying Shindig & Mojo. A mom & pop bookstore supplies Uncut & Blue Suede News. I can get Prog through Dusty Groove. I don't miss B&N anymore.

The truth is I love shopping at BN, but I never buy anything.
I take a picture of it, and purchase it later online.

A slight edit if you don't mind, more matter of the fact.

I was just at my local B&N today. Grabbed three magazines. I love going there - I’m there about once a week (well, that store or one of the other B&Ns nearby-ish). It’s most valuable to me for the magazine selection - no one else around here (that I’ve found) carries the import music magazines. Should they go under, I’ll likely end up having to go to electronic versions of most of them because I probably won’t pay the print subscription fees for them. I did that w/Sound On Sound - $43/year for the digital version versus $120 for the print in stores.

Not to say they don’t have their problems. Like Borders, they’re trying to sell CDs and DVDs at list price. That’s not going to work. Anyone who’s the least bit tech-savvy is going to turn to Amazon or something similar, or for DVDs, maybe Best Buy. They’ve decimated the CD/DVD section as well, so they’re not going to compete with anyone on selection.

I’m with Rick - I’m still not over the demise of Borders. I preferred Borders over B&N, but I couldn’t believe some of the decisions they made.

I’m glad that I’ll have various online options, but nothing replaces going into the store - book or record - and browsing the shelves and having something catch your eye and turn into something you treasure over the years. I’ve had that happen with more books and records than I can count,

I’m not sure what these guys have done with Waterstones. None of the stories I’ve read mentioned them being shut down, and I don’t want to find out they have.

Great article from the NY Times : Aug. 8, 2019

Can Britain’s Top Bookseller Save Barnes & Noble?

]ames Daunt fought Amazon and rescued the country’s biggest bookstore chain.
Now comes Chapter 2.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/book ... daunt.html

I went into my local B&N last month for some magazines and the music section was gone (lots of construction going on) so I will have to return in September and see if they really have done away with most of the magazine section (the main reason I would go there).

That's interesting. I have 3 B&N close by. I was in one last week to pick up a mag, and I noticed a section of the CD/DVD department (which had previously been converted into toys & dolls) was now completely stripped & empty. Yay! The CD dept was still there, not in all of its previous glory of a few years ago though. But the LPs had mushroomed, the LPs are taking over the racks! DVDs were about the same. Something fishy is going on though, what are they gonna put in the toys & dolls racks now?

I read about 20 comments from readers and afew were dismayed about the increase in toys & of such. That would take notice with new mgmt.

As for magazines, they do a good business, at least the music ones do. They have been promoted top tear of the shelf instead of previously on the lowest tier. Us older rock & rollers had an issue with that, the low tier that is. I like it top shelf like my liquor.

I’m with Rick - although my local B&N store still have some of my favorite mags on the bottom shelf, which usually results in a fairly elaborate maneuver to get back up again.