Do you remember when...

So I had the opportunity to find myself in my local Chapters (a large bookstore chain in Canada) not too long ago and couldn't help being a little disappointed.

Allow me to explain this. As I looked around I realized that at least half of the space in the store was not even for books!! Am I the only one who remembers when a bookstore sold books exclusively? Now I understand why they've branched out; every company needs to turn a profit to survive and books just aren't selling like they once did. But still...I mean do we need to buy toys, home décor, trinkets, and god knows what else at the bookstore?

It's all just disappointing for me because I think about all the authors whose work could occupy that space. There are so many talented authors out there whose work goes undiscovered because book stores don't stock them. They'll say that they can't afford to shelf unproven talent but the flipside of that is how does one prove themselves if they're never given a chance?

Maybe, and this might just be me, but could the bookstore not dedicate a small section to those up and coming authors who given half a chance might one day make the best seller list? Is this not an investment in their own future profitability? Like any business, do they not need to think about the future and where sales will come from down the line?

Or is that what they're doing with the clocks, picture frames, and baby items? Will I one day be asking the question do you remember when the bookstore sold books?