Why are bookstore chains continue to expand operations when less people freely read books today?

Question

Perhaps in collaboration with online book sales, the stores are merely outlets to the large bookstore chains, therefore revenue is generated in addition to store sales.

Be that as it may, whats even more interesting, most people estimated to be about 75% to 80% do not get past the first chapter in completion which obviously indicates that most people do not read from cover to cover the books purchased.

Perhaps the authors themselves are not writing well enough to keep the attention of its readers, a challenge perhaps in this day and age of computers, Internet, and premium television channel programming, its a challenge.

Or perhaps the reading skills of many are lacking, they are not able to keep up with there own brains capacity. What do I mean? The brain says, "Dude, you are boring me with the slow reading, put the book down, says the brain."

Inspite of the many distractions not to read, there are hundreds of millions still reading worldwide! -- Paul Stanley

Answer 1

Let's see ... when I go into one of those stores, I go up to the checkout area and buy a store brand tote bag so I can carry the stuff I'm going to purchase.

Then, I stroll over to the Starbucks Coffee and get a coffee and a scone.

To give me something to do while having the coffee and scone, I step to the nearby magazine rack and find a crossword puzzle magazine to work on.

Or I open up my laptop computer and hook up to the store's wireless (wifi) Internet connection and do some work.

When I get through, I go look at the gift section and find something for a friend -- or just for myself, like some packaged tea or coffee.

Then I step to the greeting cards and buy a greeting card to go with the gift.

Then I remember that I want some exercise equipment, so I add a balance ball to my items, and I head for the cash register

After I leave and I glance back at the front, I see that the sign says something about "books." What a nice little quaint nostalgic 20th Century touch.

Answer 2

I'm not sure where your information comes from, but I am in bookstores quite often (sometimes doing signings) and there are always people in there buying books. I have trouble believing that percentage you quoted since those spending money on a book are pretty likely to read the whole thing.

Many 'research' articles are very faulty. Bookstores wouldn't expand if they didn't have the sales to back them up.

Answer 3

Chain bookstores sell way more than just books. Most book stores have music (CDs etc), DVDs, children's toys, maps, food, coffee, magazines, newspapers etc. Inernet books sellers also do better if they have real stores for people to go into. As for e-book, you can have them. I will never get tired of holding a book in my hand.

As for me, there has only been 2 or 3 books that I've not read all the way thru. The weren't necessarily boring, but lacked what ever it took to get me to read more.

Answer 4

What world are you living in? Why do you think Yahoo has devoted a section in Answers to books and Authors because so many people read books and will always read books that there will always be a need for book stores.

Answer 5

Your stats are screwy!

In the past 7 years there has been a reading explosion! Thanks mainly to Ms Rowling our children not only read Harry Potter books but Pullman, Nix, Horowitz, Blackman.

Children and young adults are dragging their parents off the streets and into book stores by the droves... I teach them I know!

The only books I buy on line are the ones out of print. For my son and myself our treat is too take ourselves off to Waterstones, buy three or more books (3 for 2) and buy lunch in Costa. We think on that as the highlight of the month and as I look around I'm sure we're not alone.

Answer 6

Well if you check the demographics of the U.S. most readers today are babyboomers and they are reading more and more sci-fi/fantasy yet bookstore chains are ineptly reading the statistics wrong or they are trying to cater to the younger crowd and forgetting the fact that most of the money generated from selling books came from these selfsame babyboomers.

Answer 7

Was there actually a question in there?

I agree with you nonetheless.

By the way, you deserve a cookie and a gold star for being literate. You're already that much farther evolved than 80% of people who use Yahoo! Answers.

Answer 8

This is such a lengthy question that I have trouble deciding if you wish to ask a question, or if you wish
about ten minutes to lecture me.

I would suggest that bookstores expand because they
are profitable. in order to be profitable they must sell
XYZ Volume of printed materials to someone. After that
sale, who cares what becomes of the materials purchased?

Answer 9

there's a huge Borders close to the place I stay and that they've lots of massive snug chairs and a Gloria denims (Australia's Starbucks i assume you could desire to call it...=]).nicely besides, everytime i bypass in there are human beings sitting on the floor analyzing, human beings sitting on benches flipping by magazines, the record is going on. So i think of we are no longer propose to apply the bookstall like a library yet i do no longer think of it bothers numerous human beings.