* R.I.P. William Peter Blatty, who had a long and varied career in literature, film and newspapers. His most successful creation was the novel The Exorcist. http://www.avclub.com/article/rip-william-peter-blatty-author-exorcist-248396
* We're also sorry to report the passing of actor John Hurt. Here, i09.com presents clips from some of his most memorable genre roles: http://io9.gizmodo.com/john-hurts-8-most-memorable-scifi-and-fantasy-movie-rol-1791735959
* Efforts to revise or repeal California's terrible autograph law AB5170 have resulted in AB228, a revised piece of legislation that is due to be voted on as soon as February 26th, 2017. It's not how we would have re-written it, but it does have the positive effects of exempting most regular bookstores and booksellers from the law. You can read the text of it here: https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB228/2017 . We'll keep you posted if it passes!
* Unfortunately, local San Francisco bookstore Adobe Books was broken into for the second time this year: https://missionlocal.org/2017/01/thieves-at-adobe-books-take-the-cash-and-leave-the-books/
Showing posts with label Ecommerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ecommerce. Show all posts
February 04, 2017
January 01, 2012
What Happens When the Showrooms Go Away?
by Alan Beatts
In the aftermath of the holiday shopping season the consumer trends have turned out to be pretty much what anyone would have expected, other than people seeming to be willing to spend more money that was expected. Barnes and Nobel, along with many independent booksellers, had a nice boost in sales due to Borders Books closing. Even more stuff was bought on-line. A little bit of a surprise was Amazon's offer to pay customers up to $5 to go into a local store, scan an item, walk out, and buy the same item on Amazon (a move that was decried by even some of the biggest tech and Amazon fans http://gawker.com/5865612/amazon-launches-christmas-attack-on-local-shops).
That recent offer from Amazon got me thinking about where that phenomenon (i.e. consumers shopping at physical stores and then buying online) might take us. The obvious conclusion is that eventually the physical stores will vanish since they won't make enough sales to stay open. But what happens then?
Obviously, people will have to get used to buying things without being able to take a look at them first, which is actually fine for most sort of product but may be troubling for people shopping for things like furniture, clothing, and so forth. But even then, simple, friendly, no-questions-asked return policies will reassure consumers enough that it shouldn't be a big hurdle for on-line merchants.
In the aftermath of the holiday shopping season the consumer trends have turned out to be pretty much what anyone would have expected, other than people seeming to be willing to spend more money that was expected. Barnes and Nobel, along with many independent booksellers, had a nice boost in sales due to Borders Books closing. Even more stuff was bought on-line. A little bit of a surprise was Amazon's offer to pay customers up to $5 to go into a local store, scan an item, walk out, and buy the same item on Amazon (a move that was decried by even some of the biggest tech and Amazon fans http://gawker.com/5865612/amazon-launches-christmas-attack-on-local-shops).
That recent offer from Amazon got me thinking about where that phenomenon (i.e. consumers shopping at physical stores and then buying online) might take us. The obvious conclusion is that eventually the physical stores will vanish since they won't make enough sales to stay open. But what happens then?
Obviously, people will have to get used to buying things without being able to take a look at them first, which is actually fine for most sort of product but may be troubling for people shopping for things like furniture, clothing, and so forth. But even then, simple, friendly, no-questions-asked return policies will reassure consumers enough that it shouldn't be a big hurdle for on-line merchants.
September 01, 2011
Amazon is Nobody's Friend, Part One
by Alan Beatts
In all the years that I've been writing articles for this newsletter, I've never made a habit of "Amazon-bashing". Sure there have been a few times that I've made little comments about some of their poor choices and ethical screw-ups, but over all I've pretty much left them alone.
This article will be a change from that relative silence.
The reason that I'm finally being truly critical about Amazon is two-fold. First, at this moment a huge number of book buyers are facing a choice. All the former Borders customers out there have to decide where they are going to get their books now that Borders is closed. There are three choices: 1) Barnes and Noble. 2) Amazon. 3) An independent bookstore. At first glance, it will seem that I'm trying to deter customers from shopping at Amazon (and, it won't break my heart at all if you choose to avoid Amazon after reading this). But what is more important to me is that I provide you with information so you make as informed a choice as possible. Your dollars are your economic votes. Where, how and with whom you spend your money determines what businesses survive and thrive. Just like any election, I think an informed group tends to makes wiser choices.
Second, I was talking to a few friends about Amazon and I realized that my opinion of them has shifted in the past ten years. When they started up, my attitude was very much live and let live. They had their business ideas and I had mine. I figured there was room enough for both of us. But, as I've watched them grow, seen their business choices and their effect on my field, I've come to the conclusion that they are not a positive influence on the business of words & stories. During that same conversation with my friends, I also realized that there is a long list of things that they've done and attitudes that they have that I think are pretty lousy, either because I think that they are not ethical or just not . . . nice. Once I considered the totality of my opinion about Amazon, I decided it was time to say something.
In all the years that I've been writing articles for this newsletter, I've never made a habit of "Amazon-bashing". Sure there have been a few times that I've made little comments about some of their poor choices and ethical screw-ups, but over all I've pretty much left them alone.
This article will be a change from that relative silence.
The reason that I'm finally being truly critical about Amazon is two-fold. First, at this moment a huge number of book buyers are facing a choice. All the former Borders customers out there have to decide where they are going to get their books now that Borders is closed. There are three choices: 1) Barnes and Noble. 2) Amazon. 3) An independent bookstore. At first glance, it will seem that I'm trying to deter customers from shopping at Amazon (and, it won't break my heart at all if you choose to avoid Amazon after reading this). But what is more important to me is that I provide you with information so you make as informed a choice as possible. Your dollars are your economic votes. Where, how and with whom you spend your money determines what businesses survive and thrive. Just like any election, I think an informed group tends to makes wiser choices.
Second, I was talking to a few friends about Amazon and I realized that my opinion of them has shifted in the past ten years. When they started up, my attitude was very much live and let live. They had their business ideas and I had mine. I figured there was room enough for both of us. But, as I've watched them grow, seen their business choices and their effect on my field, I've come to the conclusion that they are not a positive influence on the business of words & stories. During that same conversation with my friends, I also realized that there is a long list of things that they've done and attitudes that they have that I think are pretty lousy, either because I think that they are not ethical or just not . . . nice. Once I considered the totality of my opinion about Amazon, I decided it was time to say something.
July 01, 2011
Racing to the Bottom
by Alan Beatts
"Racing to the bottom" has become a bit of a buzzword recently. The common usage has moved a fair bit away from the origin, which dates from the late 19th century and related to the economic practice of states reducing taxes and regulations for corporations in the interest of attracting them. Today it's used anytime financial pressures cause businesses to reduce their prices in response to competition, which prompts their competitors to drop _their_ prices and so on and so on. The cascade effect can drive prices downwards to the point that none of the businesses involved can make a profit while producing a good quality product.
And what, you may ask, the hell does that have to do with books? For a very long time, it had nothing to do with them. The majority of books were created by a small group of publishers who all worked within a very similar set of financial constraints (i.e. the cost of paper, shipping expenses, rent in New York, editor and other production staff pay rates, advertising expenses, usual discounts, reasonable expectations for author advances and so forth). Additionally, the prices were set by the publisher and printed on the product. All of this left very little room for price drops as well as no real interest or willingness to do so.
On top of that, the distribution chain for books was pretty firmly fixed. Books were published, sold either directly to retailers or to wholesalers who then sold to retailers. Though it was possible to self-publish a book, it was very hard to get it into that distribution chain. And, for all intents and purposes, it was impossible to get a self-published book into that chain on anything like an equal footing with books published by major publishers.
But now, it's all changing and I'm worried we might start seeing a race to the bottom on book pricing, with disastrous consequences. And I'm not saying that as a bookseller -- I'm saying that as a reader.
"Racing to the bottom" has become a bit of a buzzword recently. The common usage has moved a fair bit away from the origin, which dates from the late 19th century and related to the economic practice of states reducing taxes and regulations for corporations in the interest of attracting them. Today it's used anytime financial pressures cause businesses to reduce their prices in response to competition, which prompts their competitors to drop _their_ prices and so on and so on. The cascade effect can drive prices downwards to the point that none of the businesses involved can make a profit while producing a good quality product.
And what, you may ask, the hell does that have to do with books? For a very long time, it had nothing to do with them. The majority of books were created by a small group of publishers who all worked within a very similar set of financial constraints (i.e. the cost of paper, shipping expenses, rent in New York, editor and other production staff pay rates, advertising expenses, usual discounts, reasonable expectations for author advances and so forth). Additionally, the prices were set by the publisher and printed on the product. All of this left very little room for price drops as well as no real interest or willingness to do so.
On top of that, the distribution chain for books was pretty firmly fixed. Books were published, sold either directly to retailers or to wholesalers who then sold to retailers. Though it was possible to self-publish a book, it was very hard to get it into that distribution chain. And, for all intents and purposes, it was impossible to get a self-published book into that chain on anything like an equal footing with books published by major publishers.
But now, it's all changing and I'm worried we might start seeing a race to the bottom on book pricing, with disastrous consequences. And I'm not saying that as a bookseller -- I'm saying that as a reader.
June 01, 2008
Hi, I'm From Amazon and I'm Here to Help
by Alan Beatts
This is the third in a series of articles about current changes and trends in the book business. The last one looked at Borders Books and Music's financial woes and the possible consequences for authors and readers. The final article in this series will take a look at eBooks and the possible effects of that technology. This installment is going to consider Amazon.com's recent business moves and where that might lead the book business and the book-loving public.
Last month I started with a long disclaimer about my built-in bias as an independent bookseller when it comes to chain stores. I need to mention something like that this month as well but not as strongly. Compared to Borders and Barnes and Noble, many booksellers are even more upset about the effect that Amazon has had on their business, but I'm not one of them. Amazon started the same year as Borderlands and many times since then I've pointed out that what Amazon does is very different from what we do. I think that, in general, ecommerce is a great thing. I shop on the internet with some frequency (though not for goods that I can buy from a local business) and I think that the overall effect of ecommerce has been positive. But shopping on-line is no substitute for actually going into a store, picking out what you want, and walking out the door with it. And this goes double for book-shopping. When it gets down to it and no matter how hard Amazon and other vendors have tried -- browsing on-line is deeply unsatisfying. So, although Amazon does compete with my shop, I have enough faith in the unique qualities that my physical store offers that I don't bristle and shake my head when I see an Amazon box being delivered.
And what's Amazon been up to recently? Quite a lot, actually. I'll run down the list in no particular order.
This is the third in a series of articles about current changes and trends in the book business. The last one looked at Borders Books and Music's financial woes and the possible consequences for authors and readers. The final article in this series will take a look at eBooks and the possible effects of that technology. This installment is going to consider Amazon.com's recent business moves and where that might lead the book business and the book-loving public.
Last month I started with a long disclaimer about my built-in bias as an independent bookseller when it comes to chain stores. I need to mention something like that this month as well but not as strongly. Compared to Borders and Barnes and Noble, many booksellers are even more upset about the effect that Amazon has had on their business, but I'm not one of them. Amazon started the same year as Borderlands and many times since then I've pointed out that what Amazon does is very different from what we do. I think that, in general, ecommerce is a great thing. I shop on the internet with some frequency (though not for goods that I can buy from a local business) and I think that the overall effect of ecommerce has been positive. But shopping on-line is no substitute for actually going into a store, picking out what you want, and walking out the door with it. And this goes double for book-shopping. When it gets down to it and no matter how hard Amazon and other vendors have tried -- browsing on-line is deeply unsatisfying. So, although Amazon does compete with my shop, I have enough faith in the unique qualities that my physical store offers that I don't bristle and shake my head when I see an Amazon box being delivered.
And what's Amazon been up to recently? Quite a lot, actually. I'll run down the list in no particular order.
April 01, 2008
Book Business Shakeups
by Alan Beatts
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
April 01, 2006
Good-Bye ABE, Hello Biblio
by Alan Beatts
The ability to sell books on-line is pretty important for book stores, especially specialty stores like Borderlands. Not only does it bring in extra money but it also lets people know that we exist and it allows us to buy more obscure books because we have access to a worldwide market, not just our (very well loved, believe me) local customers. For a small business there are really only two options for selling on-line: we can either spend a great deal of time and money to set up a full e-commerce section at our web site or we can use one of the on-line book listing services. Almost since the day we opened, we've been going with the second of these choices. In that time we've only used one company, not only because I feel a great deal of loyalty to companies that give us good service but also for years there has been a hands-down winner in terms of selection, service, and reliability.
For years we've been listing our books on-line at a site called abe.com. In fact, we've been listing there so long we still call it by the original name - The Advanced Book Exchange - in unguarded moments. For a very long time, ABE gave us wonderful service at a fair price. Their sellers were probably the finest in the used book field and we used to recommend the site to all our customers.
However, in 2002 or thereabouts, things started changing. The company was sold, or went public, or some damn thing, and all of a sudden ABE started trying to make more money. In itself, I think that's a great goal. It's what we do here at the store. The problem is that the way they went at it was to start soaking their sellers (us) and their buyers (you) for more money instead of trying to grow their business. Granted, there were a few attempts to start an advertising campaign in the beginning, but it was a pretty weak attempt (how many of you have ever seen an ad for ABE?).
The ability to sell books on-line is pretty important for book stores, especially specialty stores like Borderlands. Not only does it bring in extra money but it also lets people know that we exist and it allows us to buy more obscure books because we have access to a worldwide market, not just our (very well loved, believe me) local customers. For a small business there are really only two options for selling on-line: we can either spend a great deal of time and money to set up a full e-commerce section at our web site or we can use one of the on-line book listing services. Almost since the day we opened, we've been going with the second of these choices. In that time we've only used one company, not only because I feel a great deal of loyalty to companies that give us good service but also for years there has been a hands-down winner in terms of selection, service, and reliability.
For years we've been listing our books on-line at a site called abe.com. In fact, we've been listing there so long we still call it by the original name - The Advanced Book Exchange - in unguarded moments. For a very long time, ABE gave us wonderful service at a fair price. Their sellers were probably the finest in the used book field and we used to recommend the site to all our customers.
However, in 2002 or thereabouts, things started changing. The company was sold, or went public, or some damn thing, and all of a sudden ABE started trying to make more money. In itself, I think that's a great goal. It's what we do here at the store. The problem is that the way they went at it was to start soaking their sellers (us) and their buyers (you) for more money instead of trying to grow their business. Granted, there were a few attempts to start an advertising campaign in the beginning, but it was a pretty weak attempt (how many of you have ever seen an ad for ABE?).
December 01, 2005
Local First
by Alan Beatts
Normally I try to keep the topics in the column focused on our field or on books and bookselling in general. More importantly I try to keep away from San Francisco-centric topics. I know that this newsletter goes out to people all over the country and beyond. There's no need to fill your valuable reading time (there never is enough of that, at least in my world) with "local news". That said, Borderlands is a San Francisco business and I feel we have an obligation to our home town. So, if you don't live in or frequently visit SF and you're short on time, please feel free to skip the following. However, though what I'm going to talk about is specifically related to SF, the essential idea applies anywhere in the United States. For that matter, I'd bet that it applies to most of the developed world.
For years booksellers have been talking about the "evil" chain stores who are taking away their customers and forcing them out of business. When I first got into bookselling I had no idea that such a controversy existed and I really didn't see any difference between buying books at an independent and buying them at a chain. Once I got into the book business, I quickly found that booksellers in general were pretty rabid on this subject. The problem was that, at bottom, all the arguments that I heard in favor of independent stores seemed to be based on a vague but very concrete conviction that indies were "better" than chains. When such an argument comes from the owner of an indie store it lacks a certain credibility. My attitude, despite owning a bookstore, was, "Let people decide for themselves. If chain stores do a better job of giving people what they want, good for the chains. If Borderlands fails I guess I'll go open a woodworking shop."
Normally I try to keep the topics in the column focused on our field or on books and bookselling in general. More importantly I try to keep away from San Francisco-centric topics. I know that this newsletter goes out to people all over the country and beyond. There's no need to fill your valuable reading time (there never is enough of that, at least in my world) with "local news". That said, Borderlands is a San Francisco business and I feel we have an obligation to our home town. So, if you don't live in or frequently visit SF and you're short on time, please feel free to skip the following. However, though what I'm going to talk about is specifically related to SF, the essential idea applies anywhere in the United States. For that matter, I'd bet that it applies to most of the developed world.
For years booksellers have been talking about the "evil" chain stores who are taking away their customers and forcing them out of business. When I first got into bookselling I had no idea that such a controversy existed and I really didn't see any difference between buying books at an independent and buying them at a chain. Once I got into the book business, I quickly found that booksellers in general were pretty rabid on this subject. The problem was that, at bottom, all the arguments that I heard in favor of independent stores seemed to be based on a vague but very concrete conviction that indies were "better" than chains. When such an argument comes from the owner of an indie store it lacks a certain credibility. My attitude, despite owning a bookstore, was, "Let people decide for themselves. If chain stores do a better job of giving people what they want, good for the chains. If Borderlands fails I guess I'll go open a woodworking shop."
April 01, 2004
Musing on the Future of Retail
by Alan Beatts
For years the news has been full of material about the way that the internet will change (and has changed) shopping habits. Within the bookselling industry, Amazon.com is the second most often mentioned cause for independent store closures (the most cited cause are the national chains, most notably Borders and Barnes and Noble). In the wake of Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop's announcement that they are closing their doors (1), I've been musing on the probable future of retail quite a bit. This musing is partly in self-defense but is also motivated by a curiosity about what the world of retail may be like in ten or twenty years.
For years the news has been full of material about the way that the internet will change (and has changed) shopping habits. Within the bookselling industry, Amazon.com is the second most often mentioned cause for independent store closures (the most cited cause are the national chains, most notably Borders and Barnes and Noble). In the wake of Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop's announcement that they are closing their doors (1), I've been musing on the probable future of retail quite a bit. This musing is partly in self-defense but is also motivated by a curiosity about what the world of retail may be like in ten or twenty years.
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