Around the traps

[threemonkeys]

I went into Wellington central today for my weekly trip around the book shops. Today is also the day that Borders opened their big new store on Lambton Quay so I added them to my itinerary. I didn't buy anything there though. Their sf section was quite large but it didn't hold anything new for me. In fact the authors represented on their shelves were a combination of the ones that I had seen round the other shops I frequent. This is no surprise. In the lead up to their opening they have been sending people around their competitors looking at what they have on their shelves - they have been caught doing it at a couple of places.

One of the things I like about the shops in town (apart from Whitcoulls of course, who I never frequent anyway) is that their sf sections are nicely complementary. They all stock in different ways with different emphasis, making the overall choice for the shopper greater. Borders could have gone down this route too. They could have used the intelligence gathered to create a point of difference for themselves in their range. But instead they are trying the power play - trying to shut out the existing businesses by covering their bases.

I have been telling anybody who will listen to support the locally owned shops - e.g. Unity, Arty Bees and even Dymocks (which is a fully owned franchise with completely independent buying power). These shops are owned locally by people who love books and hire staff who love books. I'm not saying boycott Borders - just don't make it your first choice or default book source. In any case, it is bright and sterile. Book shops should be cosy and intimate.

Comments

[battblush.livejournal.com]

Borders is always my second choice. The thing I love about Borders is Gloria Jeans. I love being able to go into a bookshop, pick up a book and read those first few pages over coffee.

If the other bookshops had a cafe attached I'd go there instead, because I do agree with your points.

Fantastic Planet in Shafto Lane is always my first choice. They don't have a coffee shop attached, but they do have an Irish pub just five steps away. Plus, they have the best range of SF books and the most knowledgeable staff I've ever come across. You know you're on the right track when most of the staff are published authors.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Parsons has a cafe but no sf section. They are very close to Borders so may be in the most danger of all.

[littenz.livejournal.com]

Pardon my ignorance, but Shafto Lane? Which city please.

Beer and reading is as good as coffee and reading.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Perth. A relocation, rename and change of ownership since we were last there. Check out the staff list here (http://www.fantasticplanet.com.au/staff.html) - you will recognise most of them.

[lobelet.livejournal.com]

I checked out the new Borders today as well. Like you I didn't buy anything. The SF shelves and the Crime/Mystery shelves (which were all I had time to look at) seemed to be full mostly of lowest common denominator junk. Admitedly from unusual publishers (ie American rather than British) but so what?

Today I *did* buy a book from Unity. I suspect Unity and Dymocks will continue to get most of my custom.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Yes I noticed some strange editions of books. That means they are bypassing the local distributors and importing the books themselves. The other shops do it too - just not the same specific titles. I have no great love for the local distributors, so I also say "so what".

[littenz.livejournal.com]

I too visited Borders and had a good look at the SF shelves. Nothing new, a better backlist for some mid-list authors, and a most definite air of only partial stocking - as though a significant shipment had been held up. That under-stock feeling was especially prevalent in the humour section, which was threadbare in comparison to other parts of the store. I was underwhelmed, will suspend final judgement for six months until stocking practice becomes embedded, but not a good start.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

I have a suspicion the backlist titles are a side effect of the industrial espionage. The spies went around gathering lists of the authors being offered at other stores. Then the buyers said to the suppliers - "give me what you have by these authors". Of course that is just supposition on my part.

[thoatherder.livejournal.com]

The only thing I noticed was that Borders is the only shop in town to have a good selection of Robert Heinlein books. Including 'Requiem' which was published after his death. As I have all the Heinlein books I want, it's only of academic interest.

The DVD section is vile. Firstly unlike every other shop in town, they have some of their DVDs in large ungainly boxes.

Secondly, they haven't done their homework well, a number of the DVDs are selling at more than the other shops (for example Scrubs season two is selling at $30 everywhere else, Borders, $80). The boxed sets are behind glass, except when they aren't.

I'll buy from them, only if I can't get it elsewhere. So far I'm quite underwhelmed.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Sounds like they didn't do the research on DVDs that they did on books.

[michaelchance.livejournal.com]

At least I wasn't the only person who was disappointed :)

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

For the sake of the other shops, I'm quite relieved that there has been this level of disappointment expressed.