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[deleted user]
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Feb 17, 2011 07:23AM
They don't have any clue how to fix their problems, so they keep throwing new things at it. They need to get back to selling books and making people want to come into the store (turn down the music).
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I don't like the membership thing that they added (that they copied from B&N). They need to realize that Amazon simply sells cheaper so they have to make the bookstore experience better. Mine is frantic. You can't just walk around and look at things anymore. I always feel like I'm in someone's way and they'd rather have me just get my book and get out. I only go in there if I know what I am looking for. I used to spend hours there just taking it all in. And I spent my money there then. Now I only go if I have to.
I still feel comfortable in my Borders store. I bought the membership, and have gotten my money back. I try to shop there, because I've known some of the staff for a long time, and it's the only store we have. But, amazon gets the lion's share of my money!
Jeannette wrote: "Here's the word from Borders. There is a tab on the left to open a pdf file of the store closings. My store is not on the list. I guess I do spend enough money in there!http://www.bordersreorgani..."
The one I go to is on the list. I'm very sad about that. It's just convenient for me, even though it's not in my town but 40 minutes away. The good news is that Barnes and Noble will still be there, and they have a better selection anyway. B & N is just a little more out of the way, although it's hard to say any book store is out of the way. LOL!
Lee, I hope your daughter has a great birthday celebration this weekend!
Jeannette wrote: "I still feel comfortable in my Borders store. I bought the membership, and have gotten my money back. I try to shop there, because I've known some of the staff for a long time, and it's the only ..."
The staff where I go doesn't seem to like the customers. I pictured them all seeing the news that they wouldn't be closing and going, "Oh crap! We really tried!".
The staff where I go doesn't seem to like the customers. I pictured them all seeing the news that they wouldn't be closing and going, "Oh crap! We really tried!".
I should add that I do have Books-A-Million in my town, but it just isn't the caliber of bookstore that I desire, really limited selection. I do use it occasionally, but it just doesn't give me the ambiance that I need. Barnes and Noble is best at that.
Our B&N still has that relaxing feel to it. They don't seem to have as many books available as they used to, but it's still fun to go.
Lance, Thank you - Ithink I will give her a try.
Just saw an email from my Border's where everything started being on sale today. The first chance I'll have to get there is Monday.
Maybe the problems Borders is facing will make our local Chapters/Indigo stores takes notice. I've generally stopped shopping there unless I know exactly what I need after some "helpful" staff member told me the music was loud on purpose so that customers did not spend their time browsing, but bought their books and left. Well, I did leave, but I did not buy the books I was going to buy, I bought them on Amazon instead and I called Chapters to let them know I did that (not that they cared, but it made me feel better).
Gundula, When we boycott a product or store I do think it's important to let them know why. I think it does little good to refuse to buy from a particular store unless we tell them that's what we are doing and why. So, I think it's great you told them. None of my independent stores have music playing and they all seem to welcome people doing at least a certain amount of hanging out. I doubt they'd be thrilled if all people did was come in and read books and leave and never buy anything but I've gone into stores and browsed for 30 minutes and left without making any purchases and never been made to feel unwelcome.
Lisa wrote: "Gundula, When we boycott a product or store I do think it's important to let them know why. I think it does little good to refuse to buy from a particular store unless we tell them that's what we a..."I think one of the problems with Chapters/Indigo is that when they first opened they encouraged people to browse, read books etc. without buying them, and some people really took advantage of this, and would browse for hours, take notes and even drink coffee while reading books they had no intention of buying. So, now the store has gone the other way and seems to try to actively discourage browsing. I do hope that they will go back to playing their music less loudly, but until then, I will generally avoid shopping there, as it gives me a headache.
I also hate music in bookstores. Classical is bearable if at low volume but nothing else. I also need it quiet when I read. I used to be able to listen to classical music (no voices) when I was in high school and college when studying but no longer.
Whenever I go shopping at Borders, my husband reads comics. He has yet to buy any, but no one bothers him about it. I bought a novel today, but often I come in and browse their selections, and make lists for library visits. They've never tried to hurry people out, which I am really happy about. Maybe that's one of the reasons our store is staying open.
I also don't have respect for "customers" that take advantage of stores. I wish they could settle on some sort of happy medium. Have no music and encourage browsing but call people on it if they stay forever or expose their books to food and drink.
Lisa wrote: "I also don't have respect for "customers" that take advantage of stores. I wish they could settle on some sort of happy medium. Have no music and encourage browsing but call people on it if they st..."I once found a book at a bookstore in Toronto that had both coffee stains and underlined passages. I also wish we could find a happy medium because the way it is now, is definitely reader and browser unfriendly.
I like Borders too and Barnes & Noble. But I get most of my books from the library unless I think it'll be a really good one.
Underlined passages! I don't even like it when people write in books that they own...yikes! I've never actually sat and read at a bookstore, but I can wander for an hour or more easily. However, on those visits I always buy something.
The Borders in downtown Chicago (which closed during the holidays) was my favorite place ever. It was huge and had everything, and it was a quiet escape from holiday craziness. I always spent a lot of my holiday dollars there. I miss it already .
Our local one had been really good, but since I moved back here from Maryland (2 years ago) it had really changed. I also don't think the employees there read...they never have a clue what anyone is asking about.
The Borders in downtown Chicago (which closed during the holidays) was my favorite place ever. It was huge and had everything, and it was a quiet escape from holiday craziness. I always spent a lot of my holiday dollars there. I miss it already .
Our local one had been really good, but since I moved back here from Maryland (2 years ago) it had really changed. I also don't think the employees there read...they never have a clue what anyone is asking about.
It's pouring rain here today. I was going to take a day to choose my next book and maybe read some of my magazines instead, but this is a perfect reading day...rain, shopping done, housework done. I need to start a book today. I'm just in that state of
loved-my-last-book-so-what-can-possibly-follow-it thinking.
loved-my-last-book-so-what-can-possibly-follow-it thinking.
Christine wrote: "Underlined passages! I don't even like it when people write in books that they own...yikes! I've never actually sat and read at a bookstore, but I can wander for an hour or more easily. However, on..."I know, terrible, and then to simply put the book back just defies understanding. I never sat and read in a bookstore either, except to read the backs of books to see if they would interest me, but that kind of browsing I can only do when it is reasonably quiet, it seems everything is noisier nowadays.
I'm anxiously waiting to hear from Lee about the party this weekend. Was it yesterday or is it today?
Christine wrote: "I'm anxiously waiting to hear from Lee about the party this weekend. Was it yesterday or is it today?"Me too, but she will likely be very, very tired. I hope the party was fun!!
I think the party is for today, if I remember correctly. :)
We had a thunderstorm last night -- I'm sure that I heard it. I don't think reading Jane Eyre has influenced my dreams that much! lol
I do read/browse without buying. AND I spend my money in the store, too. So some days I'm "bad" customer, and other days I'm "good" customer. It's just like going into any "specialty" store, like a shoe store, or the kitchen goods store (where I often like to browse and think about buying towels.) I do my part but I don't buy something every time I go into any store, except the grocery store. ;) BUT, I would never deface a book. And, if I happened to damage a book, I would certainly buy it!
We had a thunderstorm last night -- I'm sure that I heard it. I don't think reading Jane Eyre has influenced my dreams that much! lol
I do read/browse without buying. AND I spend my money in the store, too. So some days I'm "bad" customer, and other days I'm "good" customer. It's just like going into any "specialty" store, like a shoe store, or the kitchen goods store (where I often like to browse and think about buying towels.) I do my part but I don't buy something every time I go into any store, except the grocery store. ;) BUT, I would never deface a book. And, if I happened to damage a book, I would certainly buy it!
See, I don't think you qualify as a bad customer. I don't think browsing and not buying makes you a bad customer because you do buy there sometimes. And you would never abuse a book.
Christine wrote: "I'm anxiously waiting to hear from Lee about the party this weekend. Was it yesterday or is it today?"Yes, it's today, as Gundula said.
Christine wrote: "See, I don't think you qualify as a bad customer. I don't think browsing and not buying makes you a bad customer because you do buy there sometimes. And you would never abuse a book."100% agreed! They should be grateful for customers who buy or might buy, no matter how long they're wandering and checking out books in the store.
I just figure that if they didn't want you to sit and read, they wouldn't put chairs in the place! ;) But, there are all kinds of people willing to take stuff for free. Theft from the library, where people rip pages out of magazines, or use dvds as coasters, or record 20 cds at a time at home -- unbelievable. Somebody has to feed the artists and the booksellers. If I didn't buy at these stores, they'd close up and I would lose.
Oh for goodness sake. I am in here on the computer and I suddenly hear my son yelling, "I'm so horny!"
I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frustrated with a game he is playing. Yes, I did explain that it does NOT mean frustrated and that he should never yell that. Sheesh!
I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frustrated with a game he is playing. Yes, I did explain that it does NOT mean frustrated and that he should never yell that. Sheesh!
Christine wrote: "Oh for goodness sake. I am in here on the computer and I suddenly hear my son yelling, "I'm so horny!"I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frustrated with a gam..."
Christine, I almost spilled my tea on my computer keyboard, oh my!! I'm glad Benjamin yelled this at home, not at school. Hmm, I wonder if he meant the word "ornery" which I think can mean frustrated in certain cases.
You might have something there, Gundula. I wonder if he did mean ornery. However, I'm not going to bring it up again. He's embarrassed that he said something "inappropriate".
Poor kid! But, I got a good laugh out of it. I think most kids do that at some point -- use a word, thinking it means something else. I wonder if there's another kid at school that thinks the same thing Benjamin does?
Christine, So funny. It's very possible he's said it elsewhere. Ha! Sorry that he felt badly but I guess he'll remember to not yell out that again. Kids say the funniest things. Kids & teens. Sometimes adults too, of course.
Christine, tell Benjamin stuff like that happens (and, like Lisa said in the previous post, it can happen to anyone). When I first moved to Canada, I said the "F" word to my homeroom teacher, because one of my classmates told me it meant "hello." Was I ever embarrassed ...
Oh my! That's too funny, but it's also what I'm kind of afraid of. I wonder if someone told him to say it because he's a special ed kid. Of course, I have no reason to think this except for my own fear so hopefully it's just a funny mistake.
Christine, When I was young if I heard or read a word, I sometimes, for some inexplicable reason, thought it meant something other than it did. I can see that something like that might have happened.
The important thing is that you set him straight now on what the word means and why not to say it.
How was the party, Lee?
I still can't choose a book! Help. I'm stuck. I stare in a confused manner at my bookshelves. I mutter to myself. I wander around saying names of authors, all the while bumping into things as though unaware of my surroundings. I'm scaring the dog. My children may call the authorities.
I still can't choose a book! Help. I'm stuck. I stare in a confused manner at my bookshelves. I mutter to myself. I wander around saying names of authors, all the while bumping into things as though unaware of my surroundings. I'm scaring the dog. My children may call the authorities.
I'll call for them! ;) I'm reading Jane Eyre for a goodreads challenge. I haven't read it in years and I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I am enjoying it.
Have a great day, everyone! :)
Have a great day, everyone! :)
Can you believe that I have never read Jane Eyre? I own a copy and want to, but I never have. Is that a crime or something? I'm nervous saying it out loud.
Hey, goodreads is giving away movie tickets, and a Kindle, and copies of the book, all to get you interested in the new movie. If you click on "Jane Eyre" in your bookshelf, the contest should come up on the right. A good excuse to read the book.
Jeannette wrote: "Hey, goodreads is giving away movie tickets, and a Kindle, and copies of the book, all to get you interested in the new movie. If you click on "Jane Eyre" in your bookshelf, the contest should com..."
How did I miss that? I'll go look! Thanks!
How did I miss that? I'll go look! Thanks!
Christine wrote: "How was the party, Lee?I still can't choose a book! Help. I'm stuck. I stare in a confused manner at my bookshelves. I mutter to myself. I wander around saying names of authors, all the while bum..."
LOL! I love it, and I've been where you are.
Christine wrote: "Oh for goodness sake. I am in here on the computer and I suddenly hear my son yelling, "I'm so horny!"I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frustrated with a gam..."
So glad I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read this one, Christine. LOL!
Christine wrote: "Oh for goodness sake. I am in here on the computer and I suddenly hear my son yelling, "I'm so horny!"I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frustrated with a gam..."
Oh, I meant to tell you about the time I took my granddaughter, last year when she had just turned 9, to see the Lipazzaner Stallions. The word is a complicated one if you aren't familiar with it, and she mentioned to my daughter that she was looking forward to seeing the Lesbian horses. LOL!
Kathy wrote: ...she was looking forward to seeing the Lesbian horses. LOL!"
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
That's cute, Kathy. Shades of Art Linkletter. ;) Of course, when we were 9, we didn't have that particular word in our vocabulary!
Kathy wrote: "Christine wrote: "Oh for goodness sake. I am in here on the computer and I suddenly hear my son yelling, "I'm so horny!"I'm like, "WHAT?!?" He then tells me that it means frustrated, and he's frus..."
Oh, that is so hilarious, especially since they only ride and train the stallions anyway, ha, ha, ha.
Jeannette wrote: when we were 9, we didn't have that particular word in our vocabulary!"
Way back then I don't think they even had horses, right? ;)
Way back then I don't think they even had horses, right? ;)
Very funny! That's how we all got around when I was a kid, before steam power. :p
Kathy wrote: "she was looking forward to seeing the Lesbian horses. LOL! "Oh, that is so funny!
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Comfort Reads
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