chesilbeach Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 HMV have finally announced that Waterstone's has been sold to a group controlled by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut. But, it seems there is an interesting additional announcement about the sale according to The Guardian book blog, in that the man behind Daunts bookshop in London is being brought in to run Waterstone's. An interesting read, and dare we hope that the future is bright for one of our few remaining national chain of booksellers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I hope so, chesilbeach, my local Waterstones is one of my favourite "mooch around" spots! Internet buying is handy, and cheaper, but buying books is more fun if there's a "human" element, too - I love chatting to other "Nutts" while in there. I can't say I like the idea of the chain being sold "abroad" at all - but so long as the new owners have the sense not to panic us bookworms by making too many changes ... it'll all work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Yes I read this online at lunchtime and I hope its positive as Waterstines is the only decent bookshop in town since they too over Ottakers. I also buy a lot of books online but I still browse and buy in Waterstones when I want an instant fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Reader Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Waterstones is my favourite place to buy 3 4 2 books I didn't even know I wanted. And I like to read the member of staff book reviews they have on the shelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I always preferred Ottakers before Waterstones took them over. Our local store went downhill fast after the take over. Waterstones already had one large store on union Street in Aberdeen, but Ottakar's was in a better location, was better set out and had a far nicer atmosphere and range. Waterstones b*ll*xed it up good and proper. It's only really starting to come back to some semblance of its former self now (in my opinion), but it's never been quite as good again, and I worry that this new sale will set it back all over again if it ends up being rebranded and revamped. I also loved Dillons and when Waterstones took that over that shop speedily went downhill too. I always get upset at the loss of book-selling shops. When our Fopp closed its doors, I was devastated. I was there 2 days before it closed and there was no indication that it was closing. I went along to buy some more books and there it was, all shut up and a notice on the door saying they had ceased trading! It was all so sudden I almost burst into tears right there on Union Street! Now we have a horrid, run-of-the-mill expensive clothes shop there instead. I really hope this sale won't mean we lose one of the bookshops though. That would be the worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 I've only ever seen Daunts website (I have a visit to the shop on my list of things to do next time I'm in London, but haven't made it yet), but it looks very impressive, and has an interesting collection of books I've never heard of which all sound fascinating. If James Daunt can bring this influence to Waterstone's I think it can only be a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I have never even heard of Daunts, and did not look at their site either, although I expect I will soon. My first thought though on reading that article, particularly the part where it says that Daunts staff are allowed to choose which titles the store will stock is that so are Waterstones - at least they did in 2007/8 when I spent 5 solid months phoning them all up (yes, all 500 or so branches) asking whether they would like to stock my own work (almost a third of them at least initially, did). I always felt that this gave them the edge over Borders, where everything was centralised, and calls to the buying department (unless from a large publishing house) were never returned, and POD (print on demand) titles were automatically rejected as they were non returnable, regardless of their sales history elsewhere. Admittedly I am not up to date with the publishing industry since I stopped actively promoting my book, but from what I understand, it has become a lot more difficult for the independent author to get stocked in Waterstones since their 'hub' was opened. A return to the older way of doing things would then be welcome and very good news. I would hasten a bet that a good proportion of those books that Chesilbeach mentions as not being aware of are published by independent authors, which just goes to prove my point. It is not only the independents who will benefit, but the small presses as well. Ultimately though the ones who will benefit the most from more choice are the customers, and that is what it is all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Daunt's in Marylebone High Street is my favourite bookshop by far. It was originally a travel bookshop, I think, and they still group their books mainly by region, with non-fiction, travel guides and fiction all together (although they do have general fiction and non-fiction sections too). I'm normally pretty disciplined in bookshops, but I find it hard not to buy as if books are going out of fashion when I'm there. It's also a lovely shop, with a timbered gallery at the back, and the staff are hugely knowledgeable and very helpful (not a feature of many Waterstone's I've come across, sadly). Well worth a visit next time you're in that area, I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Totally agree with Kell...Ottakers and Dillons on Union Street were great and the wee bookshop up School Hill...Blackwells was it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Yes, I believe it was, Inver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply K Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 (edited) I've never heard of Daunts either but from what's been said on here it sounds like it's a place I should know about. I will definitely need to check out their website later. Waterstones is the only bookstore in my local shopping centre too, with the exception of W H Smith that is which I find quite impersonal. I quite often go for a browse in Waterstones during my lunch break and I'm probably in there a good 2-3 times a week if not more. As long as it doesn't close or change, in a bad way, then I'll be happy! Edited May 21, 2011 by Simply K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Thanks for posting Chesil. I hope this means that 'Waterstones' is safe, I have a local branch and love to browse in there whenever I'm in town, I frequently take them up on their 3for2's as well. The only thing is I hope they don't muck about with it too much, it's fine the way it is (Costa Coffeeshop and everything ) ... except for their 'Books Quarterly' magazine which has gone right downhill over the past couple of years .. it's almost a pamphlet now I like the name 'Daunts' ... I'll have to look them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 Here's the link to the Daunts website, in case anyone would like to have a look. http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/ Like I said earlier, never been to any of their shops (all in London), but the next time I visit the big city, I'm definitely planning to visit one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 e-books are to book stores what downloads were for record shops. Say no more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanessaL Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Unfortunately, they closed Waterstones in Luton, all we have now is W H Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 So now that Waterstones is owned by a Russian billionaire, does that mean the new manager will only have one year and then get the sack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 This week I've been into two different branches of Waterstone's and although they currently still have the 3 for 2 tables, I have to say, I was quite impressed by some of the changes I've seen in store already. Both shops have quite a few different displays of themed collections of books, whether it's for local authors or books, staff recommendations, beach reads, happy reads, funny reads, sad reads, etc., but what impressed me most was that I had not heard of a lot of the books in the display, and it made it really interesting to browse again, as I wasn't just seeing the big names and popular books being highlighted. So far, I'm seeing small but good improvements to the stores, which seem to be looking more individual in book selections while retaining the familiar Waterstone's branding, and still keeping the best sellers and popular fiction. I'm tempted to browse them again now, which I haven't been for a while, and I think I'll be looking to buy books again when there isn't an ebook version available, especially if I can be tempted by the selection in store without having to see the same bestsellers everytime I visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Reader Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I went into the Canterbury Waterstones at the weekend and saw that they had Rose Lane's Top Ten and I was standing there trying to think who Rose Lane was when I heard a member of staff explaining it to someone else and realised the shop is actually in Rose Lane I thought that was a good idea They also had 342's still out but not as plentiful as the last time I had been in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Have they done away with their quarterly magazine though? ... I haven't seen one in there for ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 They have apparently .. I asked in the shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I was in there today, no offers anywhere!! I got the kids study books I went in there to get but nothing for myself (not that I needed any books you understand but I normally bought them anyway!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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