SereneHome Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I used to love going to B&N. I would spend hours there and buy whatever I could afford. I did start buying on Amazon a lot more since I had kids. Bc of the money, bc of the time. But I still loved going to the store. Well, I haven't been there in awhile and went tonight with my husband (we had our first date there years ago and like going back together sometimes). OMG it was a zoo!!! They now have more toys there than they books and there were so many kids just running around and yelling and it was just complete chaos! My husband thinks that I am over reacting, but I just don't have the urge to go back and it makes me so sad. There was also a very nice used book store that closed last year that I will miss. Are book stores, big and small, thing of the past?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Our local B&N stores are still very pleasant. Maybe you just went at the wrong time? Also, all of the stores are kind of crazy at this time of the year. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I think probably a lot of the zooishness you witnessed was because of the time of year. I am in B&N often; there are two different locations I frequent. They are usually pleasant. Yes, they do have toys and games for sale there now, but again, I think you were seeing more about Holiday Shopping insanity than just B&N insanity. That said, there is a used bookstore near me and I could meander around that place for hours and hours. :) It is lovely there and the young woman who operates the store is very knowledgeable; she is like the librarian of her own store. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 My B&N gets very, very busy this time of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Agreed, it is probably more the time of year than anything. Try going back during the day AFTER the holidays are over and I bet it will feel very different than what you experienced. At least at our B&N even though they normally carry toys, during the Christmas season they really up the ante and also run all kinds of specials and have special events for kids to bring in more customers. Once the Christmas season is over things really settle down pretty quickly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 My local store is a glorified Nook kiosk with a Starbucks. It seems like they sell more games/toys/gifts than books, and they never have anything I'm looking for in stock. I don't even bother anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Right now ours is packed but silent. They advertise themselves as a place for students to study for finals, meet for study groups etc. So it is very full with very serious young people, lol. And good luck finding an open seat anywhere. The store put in these huge tables and the students snap them up. And it is just weeks before Christmas, so I am sure your local store is seeing a big increase in foot traffic. Go back in January, it might be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I love thee B&N that I frequent. They do have tons of games and toys but they certainly don't compare to the books selection. There are times they don't have things I'm looking for but I look for obscure things. It is certainly crazy this time of year so I don't go until after Christmas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I've never been particularly impressed with B & N. Borders was much more of a book lovers paradise. However, we are fortunate to have an independent bookstore that survived Amazon and the big box bookstores. They are hip and relevant. The people who work there actually read books and are very knowledgeable. The owner has her finger on the pulse of what is going to be great before anyone else does. She had J.K. Rowling do a book signing long before Harry Potter became popular. We have friends who were fortunate enough to see her before she became famous and had her signings in the large high school auditoriums. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 We still enjoy our B&N along with Half-Priced Books and several other locally owned book stores. We recently moved 1000 miles away to a new state and still have many local book stores to choose from. So, they're definitely still out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Sorry. I'll make my hubby keep a better eye on our kids next time ;) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Sorry. I'll make my hubby keep a better eye on our kids next time ;) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 (edited) Oh my, I promise to keep a tighter leash on my brats in the future. (I meet a tutoring client at B&N and the boys wander about on their own while I do. Tonight there may or may not have been a display that was knocked over.... :ph34r: Fortunately, the boys claim of "not me!" checked out.) Edited December 4, 2015 by Gil 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 I hope you ladies are right and it was just the timing thing. I've been going to this particular B&N for over two decades and I still think it has changed a lot. There is a lot more space for toys and games and the "in" thing (right now there is a HUGE display of toys and stuff for Star Wars) than before. I don't live in this area anymore so only go back when I am visiting and to me changes are very noticeable. My DS2 wanted me to take him, but I think I will wait until we get back home, may be ours will be quieter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 The ones we go to are big, spacious and well stocked. They always have the newest books in a series before the local libraries. My kids probably read the whole "how to train your dragon" series and Rick Riordan books as soon as B&N has a copy. They also have WWE, WWS, FLL and other homeschool curriculum on shelves. Great for me to let my kids peruse curriculum before buying. They are also well stocked on test prep, foreign language books and dictionaries. Sorry. I'll make my hubby keep a better eye on our kids next time ;) Mine sits on the floor reading and they get kick out at 11pm when B&N close :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 The ones we go to are big, spacious and well stocked. They always have the newest books in a series before the local libraries. My kids probably read the whole "how to train your dragon" series and Rick Riordan books as soon as B&N has a copy. They also have WWE, WWS, FLL and other homeschool curriculum on shelves. Great for me to let my kids peruse curriculum before buying. They are also well stocked on test prep, foreign language books and dictionaries. Mine sits on the floor reading and they get kick out at 11pm when B&N close :lol: Yes, mine used to have that too. Now, out of 3 isles with "study" material, there is only one left and it's mostly math and spelling by grade and SAT prep books. And all the kids in the store today must have been part of some group bc they seemed to know each other and were playing all kinds of "outside" game. I heard "tag" a few times. Adults were too busy chatting and stepping over the books left on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 And all the kids in the store today must have been part of some group bc they seemed to know each other and were playing all kinds of "outside" game. I heard "tag" a few times. Adults were too busy chatting and stepping over the books left on the floor. Maybe the weekly pajamas story time. We used to go to story time every week and see the same children and parents/grandparents. There was always more mess after storytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SereneHome Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 I don't think so as kids were teenagers, but now I will look into pajama thing for my kids when we get home. Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Our local bookstores - both chain and independent - all sell non-book items as well. And I'm always happy to see bookstores or libraries running programs for children. I want my kids to think of the bookstore or the library as a happy place where they are welcome. But yeah, I don't go to any big store between Thanksgiving and Christmas. No way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I hope you ladies are right and it was just the timing thing. I've been going to this particular B&N for over two decades and I still think it has changed a lot. There is a lot more space for toys and games and the "in" thing (right now there is a HUGE display of toys and stuff for Star Wars) than before. I don't live in this area anymore so only go back when I am visiting and to me changes are very noticeable. I actually kind of like this. I feel like it's one of the few things B&N has going for it versus online shopping (and versus my local library, which is really all my budget can tolerate these days). It makes shopping for gifts very easy and reasonable in terms of cost (with my educator discount, anyway). IMO, they have a decent selection of non-junky toys and games, and it's nice to know that the recipient can easily do a return or exchange if necessary. I think it also depends on the location to a certain degree. Our main, local B&N still has enough of a selection and is partitioned well enough that I can get stuck in there for an hour or two browsing books :lol: There's another nearby one that basically feels like the runway into the local mall that it's connected to (no quiet browsing there!). And I do think the few dedicated bookstores that are left are struggling hard to stay relevant and keep their doors open. I can only think of one local indie bookstore, and they survive because they're also the bookstore for the university in that town. That said, there is a used bookstore near me and I could meander around that place for hours and hours. :) It is lovely there and the young woman who operates the store is very knowledgeable; she is like the librarian of her own store. Oooh, this is my post-kids fantasy. I dream about opening a used bookstore and cafe. I have to think there's a slim chance of success or there'd be more of them, but your post gives me hope! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I often go to one of two B&Ns in our area to sit and grade papers while waiting for ds. One of them is always quiet. The other is mostly quiet, but if I pull into a fuller than usual parking lot, I know that they are holding a special event. This particular store is very involved in the community, and will hold book fairs and other fundraisers for local schools, allow a dancing school to do a presentation, the community group does a promo for their upcoming production, etc. When kids are involved, it can get a little chaotic. These seem to happen about once a month or so. A couple of weeks ago, I walked in to find that they had some tech/geek stuff set up. There was a company that had a couple of 3D printers going, along with lots of samples and other material. It was fascinating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I go to a few B&Ns fairly regularly. I've found they are only crazy during Christmas or when they have a kids' event. I don't tend to find much I want there though. I try to buy something now and then (other than at the cafe) but there isn't much for me there. I mostly use it as a place to meet up with friends or when one of my kids is in a class near one. I wish they had more of the book I want to buy; I fear they will go the way of Borders. But then my standard of bookstore is Powell's. Hard to beat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I just heard a story on NPR about BN. That last of their business model is to reduce the selection of books and increase the toys/games/other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 At this time of year, the B&N store near me has school nights where they'll give the school X% of purchases (and sometimes school performing groups will sing, etc. Those are always a zoo. I do think B&N has become more games, toys, and popular fiction (plus nook stuff) and less books than it used to be. We have an independent bookstore that is MUCH better (and always has been). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I love B&N, though I do have to admit that I rarely buy books there nowadays. Often I buy used and the rest of the time, Amazon is just so much cheaper. :o I do, however, purchase overpriced coffee and pastries when I go in and peruse... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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