The Book-buying Experience... :)

[Word_Addict]

What do you expect from a bookstore? What strikes you as negative or positive about the ones you have been to? Are there books that you wanted but could not find in bookstores?
I would love some input!

 

[audreybee]

Good question.

Positives: Numerous comfy chairs, helpful and cheerful staff, coffee shop inside, sturdy and attractive shelving, good organization, big selection, frequent discounts/sales, book ordering service

Negatives: no seating, irritating staff, no rhyme-or-reason to book order, high prices, not enough parking

If I can't find a book in Books-A-Million (my chain bookstore of choice), I usually look on Amazon.com instead of having B-A-M order it for me.

 

[Word_Addict]

Thanks, audreybee.

 

[funes]

In contrast to Audrey, I have to say that too many bookstores these days seem to be more about the comfy chairs and coffee bar than books. Definitely a drag. Especially since the coffee is usually the $2.00 a cup, burnt-tasting, Starbucks' hoity-toity kind. (And, coffee and comfy chairs are two of my favorite things.)
Poor lighting can be a turn-off, and aisles which are too narrow.
But, really, in the end, I think what any book-seller should remember is that his/her store is about books.

 

[Word_Addict]

Quite true. What frustrates me is workers who do not have any product knowledge or are reluctant to take time and help. I have come across far too many of those. Also, bookstores may carry twenty copies of the Da Vinci Code and nothing by Wodehouse, Ondaatje, or any lesser-known BETTER authors.

 

[«FickleMinded»]

Quite true. What frustrates me is workers who do not have any product knowledge or are reluctant to take time and help.

--Ditto! plus they'll give you this what-are-you-talking-about kind of look as if you're from other planet.

 

[Word_Addict]

Thanks, fickle minded. I know what you mean. Supposing you guys had a bookstore, what changes would you implement? How would you run things ideally?

 

[Erica]

Of all the Book shops I have been in, its defy how 'Borders' are set up.
They Seem to have got it just right.
Huge shop, Very well spaced out,easy to find what your looking for, some places to sit & in between the rows of books, so I can still browse the rows, helpful staff + coffee bar etc....Oh! and soooooooooooo many books



I'm sure I could spend the whole day there

Down side..er mmm I spend to much money in there

I like the feel of 'Waterstones' style shops to.
They have a lovely Oldie World feel,
yet large & comfy, + coffee etc



I don't really like small cluttered book shops, but still use them.

I know the main thing is just getting the book! but its lovely just wandering around, to me its a bit like walking around an Art Gallery...Only looking at Books.

 

[Word_Addict]

Definitely. I DO miss Borders. I can fault the one I work at as being too kitschy, but then we do sell music and videos as well--bleh. I really want to improve the book department, however, and make it more welcoming towards serious readers.

 

[«FickleMinded»]

Thanks, fickle minded. I know what you mean. Supposing you guys had a bookstore, what changes would you implement? How would you run things ideally?

--although it is impossible to implement,but I think I'm gonna hire a person who also love to read,so by then they will also enjoy and love their job.

 

[direstraits]

--although it is impossible to implement,but I think I'm gonna hire a person who also love to read,so by then they will also enjoy and love their job.

I agree totally. I had this pleasant experience once where I was looking through the bookstore, and there was this bookstore assistant chap who was able to answer queries from a few customers without pause or help from the computer. And the queries asked were diverse. I was very very impressed.

"Who's the author? George RR Martin? Oh you mean The Storm of Swords? It's sold out for now, but I'll take your order."
"Oh, you described Bridget Jones' Diary. That one comes in two editions, and both found here. You want this one."


ds

 

[mehastings]

I prefer small bookshops to big monsters like Borders or Barnes & Noble. I try very hard to honor local merchants as much as possible an book buying is somewhere I do really well with this. Small bookshops are slowly but surely being stomped out and I feel like it is my duty to do my best to stop it.

I have a small bookshop in the next town over that I frequent. They don't carry every single coffee table book ever written like Barnes and Noble (about 35 minutes away) does, but thats OK. Book buying is rarely such a HUGE emergency that I can't wait the three days it takes them to order me a copy of what I need. I find that people at small shops usually know more about what they sell and are more involved with their customers. I never read books at the bookstore so comfy chairs are unimportant, and I hardly find spending $7 on a cup of coffee and a slice of pie something I'd want to do at a book store.

 

[Ice]

This thread is in a similar vein

Your favourite bookshop / place to buy books

 

[Dogtanian]

Don't really get chance to go to the stores anymore. My favourites were Dillons which was an old bank......thats now a Waterstones. Also a few hundred yards away from that (in Birmingham City Centre) is another Waterstones which is about 5 or 6 stories high. Thats a nice place. Think they sell coffee in there........but its been such a long time since i've been i can't remember!

There is a Borders somewhere in my city but never been in there

 

[«FickleMinded»]

I agree totally. I had this pleasant experience once where I was looking through the bookstore, and there was this bookstore assistant chap who was able to answer queries from a few customers without pause or help from the computer. And the queries asked were diverse. I was very very impressed.

"Who's the author? George RR Martin? Oh you mean The Storm of Swords? It's sold out for now, but I'll take your order."
"Oh, you described Bridget Jones' Diary. That one comes in two editions, and both found here. You want this one."
ds

--yup! you just love to keep coming back

As for small bookshop,it's ok too,bec it means sales person knew everything in there bec it is small,so easy to manage, all you need to do is to be more patient to wait for your order,unlike some other big stores, they have to keep digging everything and in the end they'll tell you "sorry,it's out of stock right now".

 

[Halo]

I really couldn't care less about coffee or comfy chairs. All I'm concerned about is being able to buy the books I want at the cheapest possible price! An ability to order books that they don't stock is a bonus. The only thing that really irritates me is having books on shelves too high for me to reach (yes, I'm a shortarse).

 

[cabrasopa]

Still can't beat the small sidestreet bookshops, especially second hand shops where bargains can always be found.
Of the Bigger shops i prefer the one's that only sell books, i cannot stand bookshops that sell videos,cd's, cards,drawing sets, etc etc.

Cabrasopa

 

[water faerie]

The only thing that really irritates me is having books on shelves too high for me to reach.

I know what you mean. There's nothing worse than not being able to reach the top shelf when there's something you really want up there!

 

[Pearl]

Like it was said before, who really needs comfy chairs and coffe? What pisses me off is when the books are horribly shelved. When I go to find a book it should be in the right section, not only that, I want them neat. Many a book stores have I went into that have their books dusty, grimy, yellowed pages, folded covers and bent spines as if someone read them and put them back, yet they STILL charge full price! I HATE that.

 

[RitalinKid]

For price, you can't beat Amazon.com, but I love going into a bookstore. I have to agree that Borders has a great layout. Everything is easy to find, the staff is on top of things, and they have computer access to locate the book or see if it's even in the store. Borders is a little bit more expensive than Amazon though. I like the coffee shop, even if it's expensive and the coffee sucks. B&N doesn't have a bad store either. Second hand shops are still great, but I don't have a lot of patience for digging through boxes.