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There's a new Barnes and Noble nearby me (just opened last year) and it is like no other B&N I've seen. It's honestly a direct carbon copy of Amazon's physical

There's a new Barnes and Noble nearby me (just opened last year) and it is like no other B&N I've seen. It's honestly a direct carbon copy of Amazon's physical book store. All of the shelves have books with the covers out (just like Amazon's store pioneered), not tightly packed spine to spine. This means the selection is much, much, much smaller. It's more like an airport book store and just has a handful of the best sellers (despite being a huge physical footprint of a store). Games, toys, and a huge coffee shop take up most of the space. You would never go here with a specific book in mind to find, unless it was a massive bestseller. It's interesting and I'm curious to see how it does, but it's definitely not a general bookstore anymore.

Spooky23 4y ago
Usually stores with constrained inventory by design are a sign that the company is on the upswing because they are aggressively controlling inventory. When you see a store bulk up with crap stuffed everywhere, it’s often tied to loading up on debt and sometimes bankruptcy risk. IMO, Barnes and Noble sees an opportunity with the struggles of Amazon in retail and the decline of Starbucks. Starbucks used to pride itself as a “third place”… now the drive through is the priority, the seating has been reduced, and the management seems more interested in fighting labor than having happy hospitality employees. People who read tend to have money. It seems like a winning combination to have people with money hanging out in your retail establishment. Plus they can riff off of Target’s super successful pickup model that is every mom’s favorite thing ever.
uoaei 4y ago
> All of the shelves have books with the covers out (just like Amazon's store pioneered) This makes me think you did not enter a bookstore before you checked out Amazon's version. Many do exactly this for the big, recognizable hits they expect to sell more of. Also it is a symptom of JIT logistics and inventory minimization, not really a UX concern.
- Hasu 4y ago
  > This makes me think you did not enter a bookstore before you checked out Amazon's version. Many do exactly this for the big, recognizable hits they expect to sell more of. Yeah, I worked at a chain bookstore years before Amazon ever opened a physical store and the entire bestsellers display was done covers out, as were all the endcaps. Within the aisles, we organized books so that some of the books on every shelf would be cover out, which sometimes optimizes for space, and makes for a more aesthetically pleasing shelf layout and allows for the more prominent display of popular titles and eye-catching covers. Setting up shelves this way was part of the training and a constant practice, adjusting the display of stock throughout the day as items are purchased, removed, and returned. The entire store got a once over every night at closing.

Spooky23 4y ago

Usually stores with constrained inventory by design are a sign that the company is on the upswing because they are aggressively controlling inventory. When you see a store bulk up with crap stuffed everywhere, it’s often tied to loading up on debt and sometimes bankruptcy risk. IMO, Barnes and Noble sees an opportunity with the struggles of Amazon in retail and the decline of Starbucks. Starbucks used to pride itself as a “third place”… now the drive through is the priority, the seating has been reduced, and the management seems more interested in fighting labor than having happy hospitality employees. People who read tend to have money. It seems like a winning combination to have people with money hanging out in your retail establishment. Plus they can riff off of Target’s super successful pickup model that is every mom’s favorite thing ever.

uoaei 4y ago

> All of the shelves have books with the covers out (just like Amazon's store pioneered) This makes me think you did not enter a bookstore before you checked out Amazon's version. Many do exactly this for the big, recognizable hits they expect to sell more of. Also it is a symptom of JIT logistics and inventory minimization, not really a UX concern.

Hasu 4y ago
> This makes me think you did not enter a bookstore before you checked out Amazon's version. Many do exactly this for the big, recognizable hits they expect to sell more of. Yeah, I worked at a chain bookstore years before Amazon ever opened a physical store and the entire bestsellers display was done covers out, as were all the endcaps. Within the aisles, we organized books so that some of the books on every shelf would be cover out, which sometimes optimizes for space, and makes for a more aesthetically pleasing shelf layout and allows for the more prominent display of popular titles and eye-catching covers. Setting up shelves this way was part of the training and a constant practice, adjusting the display of stock throughout the day as items are purchased, removed, and returned. The entire store got a once over every night at closing.