Barnes & Noble for sale!

[Demon_Lord]

Just sharing this news, in case you haven't hear it.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/barnes-noble-hangs-up-for-sale-sign/  This report also talks a lot about the independent bookstores and prints. I think they missed the ebook and audiobook boom, but well, that's life.

Google search results on the subject: https://www.google.com/search?q=Barnes+%26+Noble+for+sale&oq=Barnes+%26+Noble+for+sale


Maybe we need a Publishing Industry Sub-forum, or something like that.


Dear mods: I posted this thread here, because I wasn't sure which part of the forums was more appropriate, if it belongs some other place, feel free to move it. 
Thanks.

[PermaStudent]

I hate that B&N is going down this way. I have a lot of fond childhood memories attached to those stores.

I am not, however, surprised.

[Post-Crisis D]

Should we all pool our money and buy it?  Give Amazon some real competition? 

[Max]

Too late. VS has already made an offer.

[Cathleen]

Should we all pool our money and buy it?  Give Amazon some real competition? 

Talk about a writer's fantasy! Just think--all our fondest bookstore ideas, and we can make them all come true.

Unfortunately, it would probably soon turn into endless rounds of meetings, and you'd hardly get to spend any time in your own bookstores.

What I do hope for is that someone who's somewhat savvy about best ebook practices will buy B&N. We can't be the only ones who see all the missed opportunities.

[guest120]

Too late. VS has already made an offer.

And they're gonna rename the company 'Trolls'.

[Tom Wood]

B&N should set up a bidding war between Amazon and the Big Five publishers. It's in the Big Five's best interest to keep B&N alive, but to keep it out of Amazon's hands. And yes, there are anti-trust issues all over this scenario.

[Bill Hiatt]

B&N should set up a bidding war between Amazon and the Big Five publishers. It's in the Big Five's best interest to keep B&N alive, but to keep it out of Amazon's hands. And yes, there are anti-trust issues all over this scenario.

Both of those ideas have been floated, but not necessarily by either Amazon or the Big Five.

Not so much for books but for some of its either merchandise, Amazon could really use show rooms, and B & N still has leases on lots of well-placed storefronts. (Think Amazon fashion lines, for example. Some people do actually like to try on clothes before they buy.)

The Big Five, on the other hand, could make good use of B & N's online presence. Sure, it doesn't have much market share right now, but what would happen if the Big Five started playing the exclusivity game?  Stephen King's latest bestseller--ebook now available exclusively at Barnes and Noble! If the Big Five did that with enough of its catalog--even the whole thing if they were being gutsy--how fast would Amazon lose market share? To avoid being too exclusive, the Big Five could offer it everywhere except Amazon. Unfortunately, that might work so well that it wouldn't be to our advantage. Amazon facing competition--good. Amazon collapsing--bad. 

[guest120]

Trolls & Ignoble Booksellers, Inc.
"All your rights are belong to us now."

Me: I don't want my rights are belonging to you, I'd like to leave.
T&I B: You're the devel.
Me: Okay. Now I really want out of here.
T&I B: Here, have a Ukrainian bride.
Me: GDPR! GDPR!
T&I B: *crickets*

[Max]

You are so extream.

[RPatton]

I really hope Riggio doesn't buy it, but it smells of something he would do to get control back. The guy is likely the one who is most responsible for B&N's slow decay.

Plus, I really want to know why Parneros was fired. If he's confident enough to bring a lawsuit against BN, there's so much there and I desperately want to know what it is.

Instead of pooling our money to buy BN, we need t pool our money to keep Riggio away. Far away.

[prolificwriter]

I still remember when Borders folded. I loved that place, and they always had a better selection than B&N.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Too late. VS has already made an offer.

[Demon_Lord]

 
You guys are amazing!

[Ghost5]

I still remember when Borders folded. I loved that place, and they always had a better selection than B&N.

I miss Borders like a lung. I used to go to one in Des Moines. It had this great vibe and the staff were incredible. I found authors and musicians I still buy to this day and remember, "Oh, I first heard this band at Borders!" or "Hey, I remember hanging out at Borders, drinking coffee, and finding this book!".

Le sigh.

Having said that, I think one or more of the Big Five should buy B&N. Their model (and appeal) relies on brick and mortar distribution, IMO. I hope someone buys them because I would be sad to see them disappear.

 

[Max]

If a big 5 buys B&N that means they'd have the Nook press, right? If so, do I really want a big 5 at the wheel, determining which books would be where and making sure there's an Indie Dungeon?

[Ghost5]

If a big 5 buys B&N that means they'd have the Nook press, right? If so, do I really want a big 5 at the wheel, determining which books would be where and making sure there's an Indie Dungeon?

Excellent point. "Should" probably wasn't the best word choice. 

[RPatton]

I don't know, I loved Pronoun. They had some serious magic juice. I wouldn't mind if MacMillan grabbed it.

However, I'm pretty sure it won't/can't happen. Just as the old movie studios had to give up their theaters, a publisher couldn't hold on to a bookstore without there being the possibility of some really shady stuff.

The ideal situation would be for the digital store to be spun off and Jet.com picks it up in order to start selling digital books. But that is completely a dream.

[Edward M. Grant]

If a big 5 buys B&N that means they'd have the Nook press, right? If so, do I really want a big 5 at the wheel, determining which books would be where and making sure there's an Indie Dungeon?

I would care if I actually sold books there any more. Used to be my second-biggest market after Amazon, now it's a black hole.

[Post-Crisis D]

The ideal situation would be for the digital store to be spun off and Jet.com picks it up in order to start selling digital books. But that is completely a dream.

Jet.com is owned by Walmart who has that Kobo partnership thing now.

[Bill Hiatt]

I don't know, I loved Pronoun. They had some serious magic juice. I wouldn't mind if MacMillan grabbed it.

However, I'm pretty sure it won't/can't happen. Just as the old movie studios had to give up their theaters, a publisher couldn't hold on to a bookstore without there being the possibility of some really shady stuff.

The ideal situation would be for the digital store to be spun off and Jet.com picks it up in order to start selling digital books. But that is completely a dream.

Any number of things might happen today that would have been inconceivable a few years ago. Antitrust enforcement has been pretty lax in the US lately. After all, Amazon has done the same thing in reverse--a distributor owning publishers. Why couldn't a publisher own a distributor?

Fun fact: Doubleday used to have its own chain of bookstores, but they are eventually purchased by Barnes and Noble. Unlike film studios, there is no case law I know of that prevents publishers from owning bookstores.

[Tom Wood]

In order to defeat any anti-trust resistance, the Big Five publishers could probably make a 'too big to fail' argument in favor of them buying B&N. The deal might include a requirement that they divest after some period of time, maybe 5-10 years.

[Rose Andrews]

I'm wondering what will happen to the online store. It's my best retailer and I admit to being nervous about this whole thing.

[Bill Hiatt]

I still remember when Borders folded. I loved that place, and they always had a better selection than B&N.

I have fond memories of Borders. Still have a lot of bookmarks from there. Gah. I loved that store, better than B&N.

I liked it better than Barnes and Noble as well. BN outlasted it for two reasons, as far as I can tell. First, BN at least made a stab at the ebook market. Borders sold of selection of ereaders  by other manufacturers like Kobo and Sony, but it never developed its own brand, which meant it didn't even have a shot at any ebook revenues. Second, BN had developed a lucrative subdivision that ran college bookstores, which I understand was often the most profitable part of the business. A store like that is very predictable, both in terms of the inventory it needs and in terms of the number of sales it will produce. It's far easier to make money that way than it is in regular brick and mortar.