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Bricks and Mortar Bookshops: What is their future?
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Patty
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May 06, 2011 05:27AM
I totally second Laura. We need to get over this parochiality and small-mindedness (that includes PIR and other restrictions). The potential for local industry is huge because English is the language spoken by most people in the world, and many of the rest of them *want* to read English, even if only occasionally. Many bookshops in mainland Europe have English language sections. Why can't Aussie books be in there? If anything, Australia is the flavour of the month.
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Patty - mine are sometimes. Because I have readers in Europe, especially Belgium and Holland, my books get requested there more than here on the odd occasion. My books do get into bookshops overseas, especially the UK and Canada, but I find it extremely hard to get them into bookshops here, unless it is really locally, like my Dymocks and my newsagent, who is a real fan. My books sell much better overseas than in Australia, but it's because I have a global publisher, not an Australian one.
Laura wrote: "People neeed to think BIGGER..Today buyers aren't bound by their local shops..As a buyer we can go online and get our 'fix' for cheaper prices. As a business they should be looking to capitialise o..."Laura - the way bookselling works means that publishers have to offer 35% discount or more off the cover price to the retailer, and then accept to take back any unsold copies after the agreed selling period, which is sometimes as short as three months. These conditions mean that some publishers cannot afford the postage back and forth, or to pay a distributor... so all you see in the shops are books by publishers with a large enough operation to warrant the stupid system.
All the other great books by medium to small publishers are not present. But they are online, which is where the bulk of book buyers go to make their choices. Shop retailers are feeling the pinch - I would rather have ALL the choices and shop online at places like the Book Depository than pay almost double from an Australian retailer who is caught in the system and has to charge a lot to make survival possible. It's the system that will kill Australian booksellers, and nothing else.
The Luddites abound - according to today's Sydney Morning Herald the retail workers union are pushing for all internet shoppers to be charged the GST (even below the exemption $1000 GST level). Myers are also pushing for the Government to remove this threshold. It doesn't look like they have done their homework - to take an example 'Faulks on Fiction' by Sebastian Faulks, a book reviewed by the SMH, retails in Oz for $35 (RRP). BUT from Book Dep the price is $25.69 hardback or $21.22 paperback, even if we add 10% GST it is still much cheaper than the local product.Take the iPOD2 - in Hong Kong it is full retail at US$499 (AUD$463.00)JB HiFi it is AUD$576 - even if we add 10% GST to the Hong Kong price (making AUD $509) it is still $67 cheaper and it will cost about $15 (for up to a kilo) for express post to Oz. Without GST the Hong Kong price is 17% cheaper than JB Hi Fi (after paying postal charges from HKG). If we have to pay the GST it is still 9% cheaper than JB Hi Fi.
Even if we have to pay the GST it will not stop people comparing the prices in Oz to those overseas - and why have Harvey Norman set up on offshore website for small electronic items ?
Rant over :-o)
Geoff
www.geoffwoodland.com
@Geoff: I hate this talk about applying GST to internet sales. We already pay taxes in the foreign countries the store is based in. And I agree with your numbers, we have over-inflated prices on a lot of products, books can be as much as 60%, although that is partly due to the discounting that occurs in other countries. I had a shot at Bob Carr's maths about his GST and sourcing claims. http://thetysonadams.blogspot.com/201... @Patty: Print on demand is looming as a great option for book stores. Currently the cost is just a little too high, but if it has uptake it will get much cheaper and we should see $10 paperback books with no storage and transport costs.
Tyson,An interesting blog - just a small detail re overseas taxes. If you buy your books from the UK they are tax (VAT - value added tax) free as printed material is zero rated for VAT (our GST), which is now 20% in the UK. If you buy an e-book in the UK it is taxed at 20% (not being printed material). The UK zero rated 'tax' leaves the door open for future increases . . .
I agree with your comments on your blog. A free trade agreement, such as we have with Thailand, should allow an entrepreneur an opportunity to operate a Book Dep system from that country.
cheers, Geoff www.geoffwoodland.com
Geoff wrote: "Tyson,An interesting blog - just a small detail re overseas taxes. If you buy your books from the UK they are tax (VAT - value added tax) free as printed material is zero rated for VAT (our GST), ..."
I was partly aware that taxes paid varied. Thanks for outlining that though. The main point is that we pay retail price overseas in a world economy. Surely an Aussie retailer should get much better pricing than I can get on either shipping/postage or price, as they should have bulk and wholesale on their side.
Mod
Cliff, thanks for that information...it's really interesting. I didn't realize there are so many bookstores in a small area in Sydney. I don't get there often, but it's good to know where to go when I do...:)
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Oh, I hope I'm still reading the printed word....so much enjoy that best of all!!! I've tried audio books, but it's just not the same!
It seems to me that the world is changing rapidly. Items such as books, dvds, cds, computer games etc can all be purchased easily cheaply and quickly via the internet. So helpful for the consumers - it's as if we have wrested power for ourselves from the commercial world who saw nothing wrong with charging inflated prices. When we discussed this at home my daughter mentioned that she thinks the future will be so radically different - many jobs will be lost and bookstores and the like will be gone forever. For example she mentioned that Maccas are now using computers to take your order thus doing away with counter staff.
It seems to me that any jobs which can be replace by machines or the internet will be lost to us whilst other jobs that actually involve hands on, face to face contact (eg police, nursing) are struggling to retain staff, pay poorly, have poor conditions. It's all very well giving people more leisure time but if we dont have the finances to live it's not much good. And work provides pleasure, social contact, a reason to get up, a sense of self and achievement, a purpose.
Mod
I used to work at Borders (Bondi & Perth). The staff I'm still in touch with are all looking for jobs now (as of today). Their Facebook feeds all went wild about the same time. It's obvious that they're under no illusion on the chances of there being some kind of positive outcome. It's a sad day.
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Very sad. Closing bookstores strikes me as terrible as burning books.
Mod
I just got the notice that our nearest Borders is closing. While I am cheering for the sales, I am terribly sad. I go into a bookstore like a kid goes into a candy store (or, in my husband's case, is when he goes into Dick Smith or JB Hi Fi, pffft). Once I step into a bookstore, I am sucked into the colorful world of book covers, the smell of paper. I can spend hours and hours in the fiction section, just reading through first chapters!
I used to work in an independent bookstore back home in Jakarta for about 3 years, I managed different chains, and we used to model them after Borders and Kinokuniya (in KL), and now walking into any of the Borders chain I sort of feel like I am home (and I will compulsively start re-arranging books on the shelf, strange habit!).
So yeah, very sad. I shall be mourning the closing today :(((
Oh..wow...Our A&R is now in trouble as well...Before it wass safe but now it's not. They are needing a buyer soon otherwise it will go bye bye. That shop has been there since I was little..It's like a fixture of the town.
I noticed the A&R at the local Westfield (Marion) is constantly reducing its books (I have resisted going in there cos I don't really like the store). Makes me wonder if it's days are numbered?
Some of the A&R corporate stores in good locations will get bought up,but most will close. The A&R franchises will survive and plough on, trying to put this whole mess behind them. And a mess it is. Thanks investment funders for stuffing up such a huge segment of the book trade!
Adhityani "Dhitri" wrote: "I just got the notice that our nearest Borders is closing. While I am cheering for the sales, I am terribly sad. I go into a bookstore like a kid goes into a candy store (or, in my husband's case, ..."Just arrived back from KL and bought two books last week from Kinokuniya - a great place to spend all day. Managed to spend the equivalent of around $22.20 - Old Taiping plus Prince of Pirates. I did see The Plantation (Di Morrissey) in Kinokuniya KL for $21.84 and I see that the Australian branch of the same company has it listed at $32.95. (paperback version in both cases). The simple question that springs to my mind is - Why is the Australian retailer more expensive for an Australian published book?
Cliff wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Why is the Australian retailer more expensive for an Australian published book? ..."The following may be relevant:
Bob Carr blog on book imports
It's possible that the book you bo..."
Cliff,
I don't think the book has been published in Asia. I didn't see it in the Singapore branch of the same shop, nor in any other book shop in KL or Singapore - I also checked the airport book shop - it wasn't in Singapore (not at that particualr terminal) but I did see it at KLIA (KL Int'l) at a branch of the city shop.
Thanks for the link to Carr's comments, which were interesting.
I received a copy of The Plantation as a birthday present in April, so I am not sure what price my son paid, but Brenda's Big W price is the best I've seen.
I used this book as an illustration of price difference as I was going to buy it myself, but refused to pay over $20 for a novel, as I knew that prices were cheaper in Asia (but was aware that it may not have been available in Asia). It was not listed on Book Depository the last time I checked - i.e before April.
Cliff wrote: "There is an interesting item about this on the ABC website today. It follows a statement by the Federal Small Business Minister saying that the days of bricks and mortar bookstores are numbered. ..."Ah yes...I saw a small article about book stores today in the newspaper..Simlar to this news.
Interesting read.
Carmel wrote: "Cliff wrote: "There is an interesting item about this on the ABC website today. It follows a statement by the Federal Small Business Minister saying that the days of bricks and mortar bookstores a..."Cliff,
Like most politicians they say what they like, knowing that in five years they may be out of power or in a different portfolio. BUT in the meantime he has masses of free exposure and his name has become well known and his 'Dear Leader' is aware that he is out and about deflecting the newspaper from her position on something that she has done, which the newspapers don't like.
We may end up with less new book shops, but 2nd hand book shops will always be around - who doesn't wander in to a 2nd hand book shop when they see one??? Many second hand book shops also stock a small selection of new books.
I wonder if the Minister believes his own comments?
Here's a couple of articles from the bookselling industry in response to the Sherry comments.* http://www.booksellerandpublisher.com...
* http://www.theage.com.au/small-busine...
Not only is Sherry raising his own profile by making outlandish announcements like this, but also generating free publicity for local bookstores. We've been contacted for opinions in the media, customers are coming in to discuss the issue with us. Personally, since the RedGroup closures we've seen significant growth at our very small local indie bookstore. Maybe it won't last forever, but the industry is nowhere near as troubled as politicians/the media/online discussions make out. It's evolving, yes, and we're still adjusting to changes, but the death knell isn't sounding quite yet.
...And I'll get off my bookseller/reader/book consumer soapbox now.
Mod
Change is usually gradual, so we get used to things - but when things happen rapidly we notice more easily. It is inevitable that things will change drastically as far as book retailing is concerned. I can imagine a day when the only place you will be able to buy a paper book will be online or from a department store such as KMart or Big W, because only large retailers will have the purchasing clout, and only online stores will be able to handle POD books.The publishing world is going POD and eBook en masse. It is a rapid change, and will mean different things to different people. As an author, it affects the way readers buy my work. What I find now is that my work is more accessible, not less - that more people read my books, not less. This must be good.
A book consists of the notions and ideas that writers put into words - what kind of container it comes in is important, but not crucial, and was bound to change at some point, and the way people buy it too. It used to cost $35 to get one of my books into a pair of Australian hands - now they can read most of my nine books for as little as $3.99 in digital form. (It actually works out to be less because that's in USD.)
Just for a week, I'm letting you have a free eBook of short stories from SmashWords. Just type this code in the coupon box and you can download it free: KA48A
It's called Over and Above and you can see it here:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
You can read it on your computer as a PDF, or in many other formats. Let me know what you think.
Mod
Sorry Cliff, it looks like the first article has since been deleted. I think the Australian Bookseller Association's position is summed up in most articles covering the story, they'd usually be the first point of contact when looking for a reaction. It's sure to lead to some very interesting conversations at the ABA's annual conference in a couple of weeks. Wonder if Sen. Sherry will be invited as a special guest of dishonour?! ;)
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When I was sea I was always on the lookout for fallen angels - found one in Japan, Hong Kong, Bombay, Mombassa, Sydney, Auckland, . . . . . . . .did my best to save them all . . . .
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/b...I hope this link works - it is a news item that 'may' challenge the Kindle.
If it doesn’t work try 02nd July’s Sun Herald and look for ‘new books look’ news item. The item originates in Holland.
Mod
Noticed that the local Angus and Robertson is closing despite them saying originally that this store would not close.
The one at Marion. Must admit I did manage to buy a few books today at 60-75% off including Wither which I was looking for anyway, plus a couple of Xmas presents, and a birthday present for me from my daughter!
Me too. I know that when they announced which stores were closing a few months back this one was mentioned as remaining open. Clearly things in the book world are still precarious. There isnt a lot left on the shelves. They are also selling the shelving, display cases - in fact anything they can. There was even a pot of pens for sale 50c each, and they were just ordinary pens and highlighters that looked like they had been cleared from a desk. They weren't new looking either.
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Some people buy anything they think is a bargain!! :D
Perth Borders closes this Friday.I don't think they'll have enough stock left to last that long.
Mod
I don't think they'll have enough stock left to last that long."
:(
Booksellers fight out of red corner INDEPENDENT booksellers are enlisting neighbouring shopkeepers, including butchers, chemists, bakers and supermarkets, to sell the benefits of shopping locally instead of buying books from online retailers such as Amazon.
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/b...
Thought this article might interest people in this thread.
Mod
INDEPENDENT booksellers are enlisting neighbouring shopkeepers, including butchers, chemists, bakers and supermarkets, to sell the benefits of shopping local..."
That's very interesting...definitely a way of getting your word out there...shame about the ads below the article, as Carmel picked up on:)
Oh don't worry..Online bookstores will be bought out by Amazon! And then REAL stores will also be bought by Amazon as well..*sigh* Bleeeggghhhh!
On the face of it this sounds similar to the Amazon/Kindle/Createspace model or the Barnes&Noble/Nook model, but with variations, and of course, localised. I would expect to see more of this from bookseller chains around the world as the publishing/bookselling industry adapts to the technology and the market.
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Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Ice King (other topics)Wither (other topics)
The Plantation (other topics)
Death in Malta (other topics)
According to Luke (other topics)
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