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Taking the 'Book' Out of Bookstores
Borders CEO Mike Edwards said in an interview with PW that the decline in print trade titles was likely due to continued weak discretionary spending by consumers, migration of print sales to digital, and consumers "trading down" to bargain books in a still uncertain economy. Both Borders and BAM said they are expanding their bargain book offerings, and executives from all three chains noted that they are adding more nonbook items to their product mix.
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Gulf Coast Booksellers Continue to Weather Storms
Despite natural disasters, a weak economy, and oil spills, about half of the Gulf Coast independent booksellers operating before Hurricane Katrina devastated the region remain open five years later, with varying degrees of success.
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Burkle to Appeal Pill Decision
Ron Burkle will appeal the decision made last month by the Delaware Court of Chancery that dismissed the lawsuit filed by Burkle's Yucaipa Companies against Barnes & Noble's poison pill rights plan. In the ruling, the court found that the B&N board acted appropriately in passing the provision.
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New Board of Directors at IBPA
Independent Book Publishers Association (formerly PMA) has announced its newest board of directors. They will serve on the board from 2010 until 2012.
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Distribution: National Geographic Extends RHPS Relationship; Ullmann Moves
National Geographic Books has extended its distribution agreement with Random House Publisher Services in a deal that will let National Geographic employ Random House's e-book distribution platform and make use of its online marketing services to be launched this fall. Separately, Continental Sales in Barrington, Ill., and Innovative Logistics, LLC in Lakewood, N.J., will now handle sales and distribution for h.f. ullmann and the former Konemann titles effective immediately.
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Two Bookstores to Open on East Coast
Two bookstores,one in the Washington, D.C. area, the other in Greater Boston, are slated to open within the next few weeks. Eileen McGervey is opening One More Page in Arlington, Va., while Leisa Ginsburg is opening A Novel Cafe in a 2,500-sq. ft. building dating from 1740 in Tewksbury, Mass.
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HEB Grocery Chain's Push for Reading
It may come as no surprise, given the HE Butt Grocery chain’s emphasis on literacy, but its HEB Plus Store in Laredo, Tex., had the biggest turnout at any stop on the route of this summer’s 17-city Junie B. Jones Stupid Smelly Bus Tour.
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Borders Working to Redefine Store Model
With sales of trade books falling about 6.8% on a same store basis in the second quarter and forecasts calling for more book sales to migrate from print to digital over the next few years. the number one focus at Borders is to redefine its store model, Mike Edwards, CEO and Glen Tomaszewski, interim CFO, said.
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Diamond to Change Weekly Delivery Date
Starting in January 2011, accounts serviced by Diamond Comics Distributors will be able to get comics and graphic novels delivered to stores on Tuesday for a Wednesday on sale date, in line with other industries that have street dates.
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Borders Launches Paid Loyalty Program
Borders is unveiling a customer rewards program called Borders Rewards Plus through which customers, for a $20 annual fee, can get discounts on merchandise and free shipping on most online orders. The new program is in addition to a free members program. B&N charges customers a fee to belong to its members program.
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Burkle Defends Nominees, Charges B&N with Distortions
In the back-and-forth between Ron Burkle and Barnes & Noble for shareholder votes it was Burkle's turn today to defend his slate of board nominees (which includes himself) and charge B&N with making "misstatements and unfounded allegations" in its letter sent to shareholders last week.
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Obituary: Joe Drabyak
Joe Drabyak, president of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and long-time bookseller for Chester County Book & Music Company in West Chester, Pa., died last Friday, August 27, from complications of renal cell cancer. Known as a "bookseller extraordinaire," Drabyak mentored numerous booksellers during his career.
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Navigating Tough Times in Travel
Sales of travel books have been hurt by both the economy and the increased use of digital information by tourists, but two Los Angeles–area travel bookstores have adapted to changing times and have managed to hang on to their customer base.
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'Mockingjay' Lands in Bookstores
From a five-ft. mockingjay and a 17-ft. cornucopia with a four-ft. opening filled with books at Powell’s Books in Portland to seven mockingjays painted on the exterior of The King's English in Salt Lake City, booksellers found unique ways to celebrate Monday's midnight release of the final book in Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay.
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A 'Pretty Little Liars' Contest in Maine
Earlier this month, Kenny Brechner was typing titles of the Pretty Little Liars series into the computer at his store, DDG Booksellers in Farmington, Maine. He found himself using those PLL titles conversationally, to answer questions from his staff: "Yes, call Jim Bubier about his book, it would be wicked not to notify him of the delay." Then he had an idea, and the Pretty Little Liars Word Game Contest was born.
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Glenn Goldman's Books Go on the Auction Block
When he was alive, Glenn Goldman would have been proud to be judged by his book collection, acquired during his three decades as the proprietor of the legendary Book Soup in West Hollywood, Calif., before his untimely death in January 2009. The crowd that gathered on Sunday, August 22, at an auction house in Los Angeles might not have known the bookseller personally, but they were certainly aware of the value of his eclectic library.
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Alibris, Bookbyte Team to Offer Cheaper Textbooks
Alibris, an online marketplace for books and other media, has entered into a partnership with Bookbyte.com, an online retailer of used and new textbooks, that will give Bookbyte shoppers access to 100 million items, including new and used textbooks, offered for sale by Alibris' networks of independent resellers.
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Bierley Leaving Borders
A week before it is set to release second quarter results, Borders Group has announced that CFO Mark Bierley has resigned "to pursue another employment opportunity." Vice president Glen Tomaszewski has been named interim CFO, while Borders searches for a new CFO.
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Cost Cutting Raises Profits at Books-A-Million
Sales fell 2% for the second quarter ended July 31 at Books-A-Million due to what executives called a weak book lineup that led to a 3.2% drop in comparable store sales. Despite the sales drop, net income for the second quarter rose to $1.9 million up from $1.5 million in the comparable period last year. Executives attributed the improvement in profits to cost-cutting measures that included a "significant decrease" in store salaries and health insurance.
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GABBS in Boston Highlights Benefits of Bargain Books
Attendance may have been down 10% from last year's high of 268 buyers, but spirit was up for the Great American Bargain Book Show, which returned to Boston for the second year in a row on August 19 and 20. First-time bargain book buyers like Jan Hall of Partners Village Store and Kitchen in Westport, Mass., attended the show looking to make bargain work.
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