Barnes and Noble, You Need to Sell Alcohol (And Books)
Barnes and Noble, let’s have a chat.
I like you a lot, but you’ve got some problems.
After receiving two Barnes and Noble gift cards this Christmas, I realized that I hadn’t bought something from your stores in ages. You’re lucky that you’re the other school bookstore on my university campus.
Then today I found out that one of your stores is trying to sell alcoholic beverages in the future. That piqued my interest.
In an age where Amazon is dominating the book market with the Kindle, Amazon Prime, and an endless supply of books, it’s no wonder that bookstores like you are struggling. I buy all my books on Amazon or get them from the library (an underrated resource, as you know). Consumers have less of a reason to drive to a store, look around the shelves, and buy a book.
That’s the crux of your issues. You were so focused on just being a bookstore that you ignored the limitations of only being a bookstore.
In today’s world, a business like yours can’t just do one thing. You have to branch out and test the waters to see what you can do to stand out.
So what do you have to offer?
A coffee shop? Yes, but not enough people go to your stores for that since every store serves coffee now. I often forget that it’s there. Not a good thing.
A toy section? Great, but who goes to your stores to buy toys? I don’t know if your executives read their Thanksgiving newspaper, but every store has a big holiday toy book. Please don’t try making one; you’ll only make yourself look even more foolish.
You are not Walmart. You are not Amazon. You are not Starbucks, Target, or even Toys “R” Us (but you’re already down that road).
You’re Barnes and Noble, goddammit. You sell books and merchandise that is overpriced/out of place/taking up precious space for books. You need to get yourself together.
So what should you do? Sell alcohol.
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Alcohol? Well, we’re trying that now. It seems like a good idea.” And you’d be right. But you need to be less timid about it
Why? Because you need to establish yourself not only as a bookstore, but as an experience, one that is different from what you provide now. And it has to be an experience that A) consistently attracts paying customers and B) is something that will actually make money.
It’s hard to shake off your brand’s legacy and reputation. I get that. It’s great that people can come in and pick a book or read and work peacefully. But like I said before, lots of places offer that exact experience (plus or minus the books). A park, a library, a coffee shop, your own home.
You can make money being an online retailer, but if you want to keep your brick and mortar stores open for your customers, you have to be different.
I don’t see that from you quite yet.
That’s where selling alcohol comes in. Alcohol attracts a different crowd of people. People who will pay good money for the ability to drink wine while reading a book and socializing in your stores.
You can tap into the hipster market. You already sell vinyl records. Organize events centered around drinking, like a wine tasting or special giveaways on social media.
It’s clear that the print books won’t be going away for a while, especially since the adult coloring book craze. Even Amazon created a brick and mortar bookstore.
You can pounce on the opportunity to bounce back. You may not come back to your former glory, but you’ll come out much better than before. 2015 was a strange year for print books. Keep making good decisions, and I’m sure that 2016 has something great in store for you.
