I'm glad to see it's too early to write an obituary for tree-books and the retailers that carry them.
Barnes & Noble reports it had a terrific holiday season and that sales of physical books - especially hardcovers - exceeded its expectations. Sales were up more than eight percent at the retailer's bookstores.
The company says it sold “virtually its entire inventory of Nookcolor and E-Ink devices during the holiday season.” December 23 was the biggest sales day in the company’s history, according to Barnes & Noble.
I, for one, am very glad to hear it. No matter how much I enjoy my Kindle, there's still nothing like the lazy pleasure of drifting into a bookstore, never knowing exactly what I'm going to discover.
I hope these latest sales figures mean my days of wandering into bookstores are far from over.
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4 comments:
I'm glad bookstores are doing OK. I prefer Barnes and Noble to Borders - which just doesn't seem very well stocked these days.
Lynn,
I enjoy Barnes & Noble as well. My local store has a romance buyer who keeps the shelves very well stocked and she always seems interested in hearing from buyers. That being said, I love Borders, too. :)
If I'm stressed out and can spare a few minutes I wander through a well stocked book store. It helps me restore my sense of balance. Yet I often buy online or at a mega store to save a few bucks. I hope bookstores manage to survive and thrive in today's competing markets. I still mourn the closing of my favorite book shop dedicated just to mysteries. The pleasure of reading a "tree book" is different than the efficiency of my Kindle, yet I value both options in today's hectic life.
Cara,
I know exactly what you mean. There is something uniquely soothing about being in a bookstore. Hopefully, bookstores will be able to redefine themselves enough to compete - but not so much that they lose that special charm.
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