With the closing of Borders it makes me wonder if bookstores should change their business plans.
Netflix took the movie rental business by storm. So I figure maybe bookstores should start thinking outside of the box.
Find a need - meet the need.
So now with all the fun places to hang out closing, maybe the new age bookstores could be like....
THE BOOKBABE BUSINESS PLAN
A book system like NETFLIX and allow customers to pay a monthly fee to download books, stream books, or even have books sent to them (new or used). That way I would get all the new books I've been waiting for - sent to me on release day. If I don't want to keep the book, I send it back in with the prepaid postage envelop in good condition. If I want to keep the book, I pay an extra $2.00 fee to add to my library. Now, for those people that are ereader fanatics, I would love to be able to purchase those new pricey ebooks from my fav authors for a reduced price. Keep it to read it for a week before downloading my next one. Of course I don't mind if they take the book back off of my device when I'm finished reading it.
THE PLAYROOM BOOKSTORE
Well, there are still a lot of peeps that love to hang out in bookstores. Would be great if the bookstores had a kids playroom. Also, a swankie coffee bar - Starbucks top grade. Also, a book buying plan would be great where I can pay a set price for a number of books a month and have my fav books waiting for me when I got there. The place should be filled with great screens of streaming book trailers. Also, could have ebook parties where when you show up you get early dibs on best sellers.
SO YOU GOT ANY IDEAS ON HOW BOOKSTORES CAN STAY AFLOAT?
Interesting, LM, but this almost makes me think of a library instead of a bookstore. I wonder if libraries will do better with bookstores doing worse?
ReplyDeleteI don't know - but they have got to get more creative.
ReplyDeleteI like the second plan!
ReplyDeleteConsidering how Netflix has been angering its customers with its extreme package re-configuring and changing price structures (all without customer imput, it seems), I sure hope book stores won't be functioning like that!
ReplyDeleteThat said, the customers' anger doesn't seem to be hurting Netflix, so their business sense is sound.
I think Kelly has a really interesting point about libraries faring better because of bookstores' problems.
I like Amazon Prime's e-book borrowing style: Borrow one a month, and it leaves your device when you download the next month's book. I'd love to see this type of e-book borrowing in a more Netflix way: instead of simply one a month, as long as you've paid the monthly fee, you can get a new e-book on your device every time you finish one.
ReplyDelete