Nellie Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 We only have two places to buy books where I live, one is WHSmiths and the other is an independent. The Independent is closing down I discovered today. It was awful, they were selling off all their stock and 3/4 of the shelves were empty. I was nearly in tears. I'm not sure why, but I never buy books from WHSmith, I find it a rather off putting shop to browse books in. I do hope the credit crunch doesn't claim too many independent shops, books or otherwise. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 That's awful news - I hate when book shops are forced to close. It's almost like losing a friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotalus_p Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I do hope the credit crunch doesn't claim too many independent shops, books or otherwise. :-( Let Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I hope if any in cork close they at least reduce all their stock a lot so I can run away with most of their books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 So sorry to hear that, I agree with Kell, it's pretty sad when a store closes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotalus_p Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 People will be watching the money there woun't pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen1 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Although I have bought books in WHSmith before (and probably will do again) I do agree with you about it being a little off-putting. You can pick up some really good bargains in there though. I've picked up numerous books in the past 6 months or so for just Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nellie Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 It is a real shame, as the service you get from independents is so much better. Darn this credit crunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotalus_p Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Darn this credit crunch. don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 NOOO! Oh that is horrid; it is such a shame when book shops close. Guess you'll have to make do with WHSmith - although charity shops are very good for books too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimera Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 You can pick up some really good bargains in there though. I've picked up numerous books in the past 6 months or so for just Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I suppose with the credit crunch and with people increasingly buying online, sadly, this will only increase. We have several book shops here, though all are big chains I think, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I think all the independent book sellers in my area have closed down now. The last one I can think of closed last year, leaving only the chains in my area - Waterstones, Borders, Blackwell and WHSmith. As much as I mourn the closure of the independents, with the amount of books I buy, I just couldn't afford to shop in them all the time, and have to rely on the 3 for 2 offers of the chains, or the discounted prices online. Having said that, like other people have mentioned, I never buy books from WHSmith either. I can't even put my finger on why I don't buy there, but I think it's because it feels like the books are just another product, and on the whole, there's no knowledge in the staff about the books they're selling, whereas at least with the other stores, you feel like they make the effort to encourage the staff to have some interest and knowledge in the books themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koman Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Dont worry, you can always use amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nellie Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 I know I can still get books from elsewhere, but I was just a bit sad at loosing that shop. I knew the staff there and they gave great serverice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) I don't think this is the end of the independent bookshop, but they have to position themselves as "niche" vendors. OK, they can't compete on price, and if all you want are the latest Harry Potters, Dan Browns or Richard and Judy books, then it doesn't make a lot of sense to buy them at full price from your local bookstore (unless you want to support the local economy!). But good independent bookstores can offer things that the big chains don't. Go into, for example, Daunts in London and you'll find books that you can't find in Waterstones or Borders just down the road - and arranged in an imaginative way which leads you to "discover" things you might never have heard of otherwise. And staff in independent bookshops are, I find, generally more knowledgeable and willing to suggest new authors to explore (I tried to find a copy of Love In The Time Of Cholera in the huge Borders in Oxford Street recently, and was staggered to find the assistant had heard of neither it nor Gabriel Garcia Marquez). And you can't browse on Amazon the way you can in a proper bookshop! Just as "e-books" won't mean the end of the printed word, so too, the power of the big chains (whether in the High Street or online) shouldn't mean the end of the independent booksellers - provided that they have the wit and the imagination to compete on those things where they beat the chain stores, such as service, knowledge and, dare I say it, love of books. Edited January 19, 2009 by Roland Butter Removal of drivel ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Reading this thread makes me wish I had a local bookstore that I loved... We've moved so much lately that the best hope I have of getting my hands on books that are on my list is to just find the chain and go for it. The independent ones in India sell mostly only Indian authors, which makes sense. Maybe when we settle down a bit, I can find a good local bookstore to support, in conjunction with the library. For now.. I'm just grateful for the chains since I can actually find some of the things I'm looking for there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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