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Archive for November, 2008

Behind the Counter #203 - Chain book stores, good or bad?

Posted on Nov 21, 2008 under Behind the Counter | No Comment

Barnes & Noble, one of North America’s largest book chains, has shown a larger than expected loss in the 3rd quarter of this year, $18.4 million. As such, they will be scaling back on purchases of just about everything including, as the news peoples like to differentiate, manga and graphic novels.

No big shock there, really. As newscasters constantly report on the “global economic crisis”, striking fear into the hearts of Joe Six-packs across the land who then curl up in a ball and cower in the corner with their socks full of dollar bills, it was only a train coming from a mile away that consumer spending would be down and, as such, non-essential sectors would be affected severely.

And no, I do not solely blame the news for the collapse of the US economy (I mostly blame unions) but I do blame them for blowing things up and striking fear into the general public instead of offering realistic, helpful advice to keep things moving along in the retail market. Of course, this discussion could ramble on for weeks so I’ll circle the wagons back the point of the topic, are chain book stores good or bad?

Just like everything else in this crazy world, ask ten people involved in an industry one question and get ten different answers. This, of course, is just one answer.

They are good. Now, why are people competing with my dollar, usually by undercutting the SRP, good for my business? Exposure. They expose comics to people who would never think of entering a comic shop to comics, reminding them that they are still being made and invoking moments of nostalgia. The advantages small book shops like us get from them, aside from the aforementioned, is that large chain book stores offer minimal selection and the staff, generally, are not people who specialize in that area and could be helpful in the ways of offering suggestions to people directly or make recommendations for gifts.

It’s like buying throw away shoes at Wal-Mart but when you need good shoes; you go to a specialty shoe store and get all the help you need.

So having B&N, and probably Amazon, Chapters and the rest, have a poor quarter does not help keep comics in as much of the limelight as I’d like. Anytime there are cutbacks, something suffers and as far as comics have come, they will probably be hit the hardest as they are the least respected. We do need chain book stores to do well, just not too well.

The stories of how once comics were everywhere are many and usually the biggest target as to why the industry isn’t as healthy as it used to be. While I could easily point the blame at many other issues that have brought things down, exposure is key and without it, we all suffer. With TV and film giving the medium a nice (and seemingly needed) bump, it’s essential to capitalize on comics being so much in the public eye. Buying (the right) comics as holiday gifts can go a long way into indoctrinating new readers or rekindling lost ones. Plus, it gives you another reason to talk geek at the family reunion over the holidays instead of just getting hammered and hitting on your cousin for three straight days…

Ahem.

Buy comics this Christmas. The end.

The Shepherd

Behind The Counter #202 - Reaching Out

Posted on Nov 08, 2008 under Behind the Counter | No Comment

Amiskwaciy Academy is located in Edmonton, near the Municipal Airport. About six years ago one of the terminal buildings was beautifully converted into this school that focuses on Aboriginal culture, values and tradition. Amsikwaciy (pronunced a-misk-wa-chee) means Beaver Hill and is the term Native people first referred to Edmonton as. It’s a very progressive school that is offering opportunities to kids to learn and grow in ways that many schools don’t even try for.

Back in June, HH was contacted by the school libriarian, Tami, who told me that the library at the school had been closed for the past 4 years and just recently reopened. She wanted to host a book fair in the fall as a way to help energize the kids (and teachers and parents) into reading more. We, obviously, said we’d love to.

The book fair was scheduled for early Nov but the first full week of October was Read-In week in Edmonton and Tami asked if we would come and speak to a couple of classes then as well. We were very in demand for that time but we made sure to fit them in. With some assistance from HH friend Julie D, we went off on a Wed (yep, new comic day) and spoke with 2 classes about all things comic geeky, as I have done more than a couple times before. It was a good experience as the teacher for both classes was a bit of a fanboy and his enthusiam spread to the kids who weren’t quite sure what to expect.

Now this school is very, very cool school. It’s sleak and clean and adorned with plenty of imagery about the local history of the Cree couple with several modern pop culture references used to helped inspire the kids. It’s the best of both worlds, really. History without being dull; moderism without losing touch with the past. I was really looking forward to coming back and seeing what more of the kids liked to read.

That brings us to Nov 3 and the book fair. HH was to be there from 3 to 7 during the parent/teacher interviews, hopefully cornering the captive audience and motivating more kids (and parents) to read. I sent out an open invite to the HH community to get a couple of artists to come with me, to sketch for the kids which is always a big thrill when we do it. Three people were available, Tony E, Vanessa B and Paul L, which was awesome and as I began to mentally compile the list of books I wanted to showcase at the fair, I became increasingly excited at the impact we could have on this community.

Loaded and ready (on a Wed again; the sacrifices I make), I headed off the to the school. I had a bit of a Geroge Castanza moment when I was able to find a parking stall right near the entrance but I tried to contain my nerdgasim. Wheeling in my first cart load of books I was wondering how many other stores were going to take advantage of this opportiunty to help expand the local readship.

Sadly, the answer was none. Nearly all the other local bookstores had been invited, big and small, and all declined to have a presence which was unfortunate since having only one vendor with only one type of book made for a less than inspiring event.

This rant is not meant to be a back patting one, it’s one more to relfect at how pissed I am at these other bookstores. I have seen most of them at $200 a head conferences, selling to “intellectuals” and I hear them on panels and read them in the papers about how their business is suffering from a declining readership but when given the opportunity to go out and breed more readers, they refuse to show. All I can say to them now is shut up.

I’m sure they have their excuses and I very easily could have had them as well; it was on a Wed, my busiest day at the busiest time, after four straight weeks of big events. But this was important and it should have been more imprtant to all those “struggling, woe-is-me” stores out there. They should have taken the time to come and try to sell things to people who don’t buy their things! It’s what you do! We had three people who, in some cases took time off from their jobs, came and offered a FREE service to the school with no finiancal incentive anywhere to be found. Hell, Tony didn’t even take them up on the free dinner.

Is this what our society has come down to? I have seen more than enough individuals not wanting to help others but businesses often seem to step up. And I have seen more than enough individuals not wanting to help themselves but now businesses are wallowing in their own pity too? It makes me sad and sick.

I’m sufficently pissed that I want to go off an a tangent about government bailouts and lousey business practices but I won’t. I’ll just try to leave this on a more positive note with a huge thanks to Tony, Vanessa and Paul who came and helped out at this event. I should also thank every other friend of HH who has pitched in and made a difference at any school we have attended or event we have hosted. You have made and impact and it’s greatly appreciated.

The Shepherd

Archive for November, 2008

Behind the Counter #203 - Chain book stores, good or bad?

Behind The Counter #202 - Reaching Out

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