i hate the Barnes and Noble remodel
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2023
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Since 2019 Barnes & Noble has been making their way through remodeling their stores. After a brief reorganization last year, I thought my store the The Grove was safe. Until I walked in and saw new shelves, plastic, and maybe the ugliest carpet i have ever seen. Let's talk about how I hate the Barnes and Noble remodel.
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I’m going to be the annoying librarian in the comments and remind everyone that libraries are an excellent alternative to buying books if you’re not worried about reading something right away. Just a reminder that capitalism influences us to want things NOW and I get if that’s important to you, but please consider libraries. Most of the time they are free to join, have hold lists, and fun programs that are free as well. There are also library systems that allow you to make an online account regardless of where you live, so check that out too if you prefer audio books or ebooks :) Happy reading!
Libraries also consider their disabled patrons when doing redesigns as they try to make information access accessible to all. Unlike every other store barely following the ADA lmao
Would work great if my local library was actually open outside work hours… or if my job gave a go-to-the-library holiday once a month
Literally libraries are SO superior to book stores and I'm so glad someone else is commenting on Libraries bcuz I LOVE libraries
@@bookcat123 there are usually still a lot of resources you can access remotely as a library member!
I'm also a librarian and I approve this message! 🫡
Speaking of Barnes and Noble changes, they got rid of the educator discount. If you were a teacher you used to get a certain percent off books to help teachers afford to buy books for their classroom. That’s now gone. That was the only thing that got me to go to B&N.
Ohhh… as a former employee this is even more disappointing than changing the layout 😞
That is so messed up :(( they should be supporting teachers, I just reread a book that I read in school this week and wouldn’t have picked it up if I didn’t have such a great English teacher. I hope B&N brings the discount back
You'll have to look into but teachers get a free membership for a certain amount of time as an apology.
@Cue The Trumpets yeah my mom was just informed this weekend about the dissolved teacher membership and they gave her a year free of their premium membership
you can still get the educator discount you just have to set up an order through this 3rd party site, it's the same 20% discount. I think they took it away cause educators were using it for personal use rather than for their classrooms
Has anyone else noticed that every store is taking out chairs. It’s so stressful! I just wanna sit for a few minutes gather myself eat a snack and plan my next move. I’m so grumpy about it.
I worked at an Athleta (which only sells women’s and girls athletic wear) and we would get grown ass men coming into the store with wives and girlfriends, who would literally sit on our low level display table as if they were chairs. And i wanted to scream, because like nobody wants your dirty butt all over the clothes dude! Like seriously
I was okay with getting rid of the comfy chairs. The number of times I had to pick up 30 or 40 magazines that somebody spent four hours reading and then not buying and then just left in the chair... Also people spilled food from the cafe and they were turning into fabric Petri dishes.. gross.
So not great if you're disabled, I'm mad about it too :(
As someone who needs to use a mobility aid sometimes, no seating in public spaces is extremely frustrating.
This has the vibe of a stressed zoo animal explaining why their enclosure no longer represents the ideal ecosystem for their species
*don't forget used book stores when looking for alternatives to Barnes and noble! My favorite one has cats, goats, free coffee, books for as little as 1$, gardens, a playground, etc.
I worked at a Barnes and Noble during this whole redesign of the store and hated it. Going through the store I would hit dead ends and when finally able to make it out of the area I was in, I felt like I needed a piece of cheese to celebrate. Nothing makes since. It’s a maze. And there is no way there will be accurate stock at any of the stores because it seems like genres are misplaced. Be nice to the workers because they had no say in this.
Oh joy, they're doing that BS "if we make people hunt for the thing they want, they'll see all these other things and buy more!" BS that Sears was pushing the short while I worked there. Because someone who's just popping in to check for one thing has time for that crap and the thing I want to feel while trying to find a book is *trapped in a maze and unsafe*
OK, the "piece of cheese to celebrate" made me do a spit-take...🤣🤣🤣
@@FranNyan yeah that is exactly what my previous manager said. “We want them to hunt and find other stuff to buy.”
@@dancer4pcda because making in person shopping an unpleasant experoence is such a brilliant way to keep them coming back
I also work at one when the remodel happened and I can tell you it wasn't fun either😂
they went for modern when the vast majority of readers are dark academia... it's giving airport bookstore
That's an interesting thought, and I wonder how true it is across all the demographics that they market to. Like, as much as I and my internet friends would enjoy a dark academia b&n, someone like my dad (who is a huge reader but a very different demographic) probably wouldn't.
“Airport bookstore” is a perfect description.
I think we have to consider the tastes of folks who don't get on the internet. Dark academia is v generational IMO
I don't like Dark Academia either but I'm also nostalgic for the faux marbled green and oak look of the late 90s. There was nothing wrong with that.
I don’t even know wtf Dark Academia is, I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid lol
I went to Barnes & Noble recently and something felt off. It felt empty and like a scholastic book fair almost. 💀 This just made it make sense to me.
omg SAME
i didn’t realize this happened but now i see it! i go in and just feel blah
That’s a great way to explain it. The scholastic book fair was always organized weird
Hearing about the changes to the kids sections make me a little sad, I remember going to these huge bookstores when I was young and being absolutely ecstatic over the fact that they had seating areas where I could just read in peace surrounded by a seemingly infinite number of children's books. Stocking less books, giving no seating space, and transforming entire sections into toy stores doesn't sound like it'll inspire much love for reading in the next generations 😬
It also means they're essentially opting out of the market of younger adults who have small kids because they can't trust that there's anywhere to sit their kids while they're looking for books for themselves. It's a really bad strategy all the way around.
I used to love taking my kids to the Borders and B&N because there was always fun places to sit and play and read. My youngest has totally missed out on this. It's just sparse now. What a loss!
It could if the Manga section is close to it.
exactly!! im so heartbroken. a lot of my favorite memories were made there; reading with my mom, doing the scheduled group reads, and making friends at the play area with thomas the train :( its not the same anymore 💔
yaaa the last time i went to the kids section in barnes & noble, it literally looked like a toys-r-us. i was so confused and disappointed
The fact that 90% of the nonfiction books are gone is what I hate the worst. The arts and crafts section used to be at least 5 entire bookcases and now it's 3 shelves. At the same time, the Christian book section has grown amazingly. It makes no sense to me at all. I used to have a membership and now I just buy all my books from Amazon.
Loved getting mycology books and different nature books I found only textbooks and travel books my last vist
I only buy nonfiction books from there so that has been my main disappointment as well. Doesn’t help that the selection was already sparse.
@@mimipeahes5848I only buy non fiction books too! History, art, science, heritage etc for reference 😍😍😍
I'm pretty sure I am the one person that is keeping the non fiction section alive at my store. The psychology section has turned into self help. And they just decided to hide the rest of the science and nature sections in the back.
The sections depend on what sells at the store. At my store the manga section has almost tripled in the few years I've been, whereas the reference has shrunk, one sells the other doesn't.
It’s like they hired a designer that’s never set foot in a Barnes and noble, this is NOT what avid book readers want lmaoo. When I hang out in public spaces the last thing I want is bright and open, I want dark and comfortable, mix matched furnishings with warm yellow lighting, plenty of nooks to hide away. You know I actually like chilling in Panera restaurants because of how private each booth feels, that should be the standard 😭
More like execs dominated designers ideas and renderings into things that make no sense speaking from professional experience
Unfortunately, they remodeled my local public library that way, too. Bright and open, with many chairs grouped and facing each other, so people can better get together and socialize. Almost no nooks or private quiet spaces anymore.
😣
They forgot that booktok it’s all about aesthetics too. If you do an ugly remodeling, people will stop going there. It’s all about the experience, the Instagram photos and then the books.
Yes, I was also a victim of the B&N remodel in real time. One day I’m quietly munching on my lunch at the cafe and next I’m answering riddles in a labyrinth to find the bathroom.
Get riddled
I love this comment 😂
I used to love to hang out in my local bookstores, and they slowly started disappearing until it was just my friends and I sitting in B&N to hang out and read, talk, and enjoy each others company. Now, when I go into my local B&N, it feels more like a gimmick store with toys, merch, food, etc. I seriously have to look hard to find books, which is something you should never have to do in a bookstore.
It seems to be getting the GameStop funko pop treatment sadly
I always liked that they had some other stuff, but the clip she showed in the video it seemed like way too much space is being devoted to that
B&N is turning into G&N - Gimmicks n' Noble.
They made Barnes and Noble a Walmart of books.
I have the same memories in a Borders near our neighborhood's mall. We used to go hang out at the mall and then visi Borders. I loved it so much..
How does B&N not understand their demographic? It’s majority book nerds who don’t want unnecessary human contact and would rather browse in a safe and quiet aisle versus an open concept design. I remember going before the redesign and never making eye contact with anyone lol. Now all B&N is selling is book tok recommendations especially in the YA section where as I used to be able to discover books I’ve never heard of. It’s definitely frustrating but has prompted me to find local independent book shops in my neighborhood with the same vibe old B&N once had.
I was hired at B&N after the remodel (Nov. 2020) so I can't speak on that much. But the remodels are not done. One of the worst changes they are making (in my opinion) is the separation of book formats. The fiction and mystery/thriller sections is now split up into 3 sub-sections, mass markets, paperbacks, and hardcovers. It makes it difficult for customers to find books, especially our elderly customers, and makes them more reliant on booksellers to help locate certain titles. They are also phasing out shelf dividers and shelf talkers to separate sections. So if you're trying to look for something in literally any non-fiction section, good luck. They want us to rely on faced out books to designate sections. Who ever made that decision has obviously never worked in retail and is greatly overestimating the intelligence of certain customers. There's been a weird shift to a more "retail-y" vibe with the increase of toys that are sold and the lack of seating. It feels more like a "book store" rather than a "bookstore", if that makes sense.
no bc heads of retail companies don't know jack shit about retail! they'll force shit onto us, they'll design stores that just don't make sense at all! idk why they put so much faith into customers when anyone who's worked retail will tell you that customers are stupid.
My bookseller girlfriend is screaming in frustration when I read your comment to her 😅 The separation by format, what the hell?
Recent customer, am almost 30, and had a lot of difficulty finding/navigating the subsections-my spouse and I were like we need a map! Even the booksellers were having difficulty navigating where the books were (was looking for “How to Sell a Haunted House” by: Grady Hendrix). Finally found the book on top of a table near the children’s section? It made for an overall unpleasant experience when it used to be a welcoming and warm one.
It reminds me a lot of the recent remodels that have been done at Target stores.
Lily I'm a current B&N Employee and I completely agree with you. Some of these changes are insane especially in non fiction areas.
As someone who still works at B&N, I couldn't agree more. I completely hate the fact that the biggest sections got split into different paper formats and it's ridiculous!
I'm so uncomfortable with my local stores redo. It's extra bright now, like too bright so it hurts your eyes, and it's all open flooring. It's hard to just sit and enjoy the book you bought like they want you in and out. It felt very fast food. I used to buy a book and linger, it was my safe space when I was a teenager and my house was chaos and unsafe so it feels like a betrayal. Did you notice how much they're talking to you now too? Like employees have been told to greet and help every person they encounter or something. I thought it was because they've moved everything so they were offering help but every employee that I saw had to give me the same greeting and questions, like a retail store or something. Nobody wants that when are corporations going to realize we don't want that
It feels increasingly like they're trying to get you to buy books at an Office Depot. Ugh.
B Elliott. I understand your pain. I've been working at a DSW store for over four years, it was all good and I got a nice raise. Then Covid came and lingered for a while. Which meant getting a second and a third job. Once they reopened the shoe store and they asked for Covid vaccine cards. Okay, all good. Nope. They started retraining us to be more friendly and chatty with our customers. "Be engaging, be there, help them if they have a question, etc, etc" Honestly, some of my customers have been regulars and don't like being bothered or being stalked by us as we start chatting up.
They just want to browse and if they do find a pair of shoes, they will buy it. I know 'cause I know they send the kids' shoes to their country for children who cannot afford them. I feel uncomfortable and dumbfounded by the changes made to our local bookstore and our DSW store. Just for the sake of "Follow them, chat with them, make them buy something, blah, blah" Now I can't wait to find another job that brings me joy. Note: Even the old carpet instead of being ripped out and removed, actually put another one on top. And it's uncomfortable to walk on!
Even bookstores are not safe from becoming fast food like retail department stores, like corporations do not understand that people's lives do not revolve around constantly being surrounded by essentially bullshid, like it's a bookstore, all places do not need a "makeover" cause corporate has their heads so far up they behinds that they do not understand minimal of what people actually want
The whole rant about “deep green would’ve been bitching! Oh we need to talk about the carpets!…… Ew! EW!!” etc is so funny I’m losing it
The green carpet was so ugly. That's the one part of the video I was like idgi lol everything else i agreed with
Barnes and Nobles to read a book and learn something new
i used to be a library worker, and one of the things that really made me unhappy was the changes that were being pushed through to make our libraries more like retail stores. every year, it was more about the numbers, numbers, numbers, and less about the individual person's experience.
Why the heck do numbers matter? It's a free place for people to hang out and learn.
@@ToastyJunebugs we had to keep stats for number of visitors, items checked out, items used in-library, how many people came to programs, etc. because it was all tied to funding. and when funding is based on quantity, the quality of service can suffer. workers get burned out
@@K.ArashiIt doesn't help there is certain areas wanting to get rid of their libraries due to "not getting their money's worth" and some bs culture war some of the conservatives started
I worked at B&N as these changes were beginning to happen. Another thing my managers were pushing was not putting books of the same series next to each other on display tables, which we frequently had customers ask about. “Why is the second book on the table, but the first isn’t?” “Oh, the first book is on that other table,” or “Oh, the first book is hidden on a completely different section of the table.” Apparently it’s to get them to “look around more” and spend more time stalking the shelves. It was odd. Thanks for making this video! I totally agree with your points.
OH MY GOSH AND THE PINK WALLS MADE ME SO MAD.
That’s a bizarre reason. As a shopper looking to begin a new series, if the first installment isn’t around the other versions, I’m just going to assume it’s out of stock and maybe try looking for it elsewhere / another time
That so ridiculous. How do they not get that I'm going to assume you don't have it then and buy it elsewhere instead of looking around or hunting someone down through a labyrinth.
Book shoppers don't want to look AROUND for the other installments in a series! Have these people NEVER bought books?!
I love that Amanda's just like "I'm gonna complain for 30 minutes for absolutely no outcome" and we're all like yeah for sure 100% I'm here
Last time I saw a horror section in a book store, it was nothing but Stephen King, and one copy of jurassic park. Half of which could be put in fantasy/Sci fi.
Same - as someone who loves Horror, it's always disappointing to see the section shoved in the back of the store, between two shelves, and mostly just Stephen King.
@@saga685 Yeah I don't hate horror. I own a few horror books, and half way through the shining. Only way I can logic removing it is if the genre is limited to a single author (unsure how but let's for the sake of argument it is) the two options would just be "X author" shelf or just move things to other genres that would make the most sense behind it's initial genre. I don't know. Just a thought.
Yeah. Stephen King sells. He’s the big horror author!
@@thedeepfriar745 yes he's a big horror author and he sells, but he's not the only horror author. I'd like to be able to walk in and select from a variety of authors with different writing styles and types of horror. He's good, but we deserve some diversity on the shelf.
Even 20 years ago, you would only find Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Anne Rice in the horror section
It's actually so reassuring to see that there are people who hate change as much as I do
oh just wait til you learn about conservatism.
@@miguelwastaken Of all the replies I wasn't ready for this is tops. Perfect reply✨
Would love to see you do a deep dive on the publishing industry!! Like how they’re pretty much pricing out children & YA readers, by raising prices (specifically hardcovers), parents are more unlikely to actually buy them and young adults/teens don’t really have their own money to buy said titles. THEN they can pretty much turn around and say ‘well, there’s no demand for these types of books so why would we give deals to these types of authors/promote them’ OR LIKE B&N we need proof of sales 😐
Yes, books are getting so expensive. And kids/teens aren’t always able to read ebooks at school and stuff because they’ll have no electronics policies during class, especially on exam days, cause they don’t want you cheating. And they have libraries at schools ofc, but they may not always have a ton of resources.
YA books now feel like they thrive on older audiences who prefer reading them over books aimed at adults
I work in publishing and the price raises (at least where I work) are from this bizarre mentality of "oh sales numbers went down, so to keep profits the same we need higher prices. Ok we raised prices and sales numbers went down again? Guess we have to raise prices again." And rinse and repeat without ever realizing that the sales numbers are going down because people can't afford the ever-increasing prices. It's super frustrating as a reader who can't afford the new prices and as an employee who can't convince the higher ups that they're shooting themselves in the foot
As a Barnes and Noble employee most of us hate the remodel/changes.... We understand that most people who come to the bookstore come for ya know....books and we also dont understand why we are merging into a toy store.... also the lack of a customer service desk in the remodel is frustrating for both customers and us employees.... they no longer also want to go for a cozy book shopping vibe and more of a corporate shopping stale vibe.....
My husband is a B&N manager. He thanks you for speaking the truth.
Imagine someone watching this realizing they also spend a lot of time at Barnes and Noble, give advice to friends, talk loudly on the phone and even once explained Yellowstone at B&N then realizing they are that individual Swell was talking about
i want him to legit become her friend he sounds so interesting
Aw I hope it would make him happy! People deserve to hear about the impact they’ve made on this world:)
I’m Canadian and our version of Barnes & Noble - Indigo - did a similar rebrand a while back. Now 75% of the store is devoted to “lifestyle” products like home decor, kitchenwares, board games, fashion, snacks, and recently adult toys. At first I didn’t mind because their housewares are actually really cute… but now the stores are maze like and the books are shoved into back corners, and there’s nowhere for people to sit and read, which was such a nostalgic part of my childhood.
They are currently recovering from data hacking and actually don’t have book shipments coming in due to this, so the reason the books seem shoved to the corners is because they don’t actually have enough books right now
Having adult toys in a bookstore is wildddd 💀
@@KettenDriver Canada is a little bit less conservative than the US lol. People are a bit shocked when they see it here but not enough to make a fuss about it.
@@zoem2528 they recently renovated their downtown Ottawa store into their new lifestyle concept, it’s been in the works much longer than the data hack has been a factor, and it’s just like this though. A huge maze with books sidelined in favour of scattered and chaotic looking housewares displays, and nowhere to sit and lounge, especially when compared to their old 2-story Rideau Street store.
Throw in there hardly is a selection of books. I can't find certain topics now since most of the books are cook books, manga (as much as I do love a good manga series every once in awhile), or YA novels in there
Borders essentially used these tactics right before they failed, including things like removing seating in the stores to discourage reading at the store.
Just hearing someone mention Borders instills me with physical joy. They were worlds above B&N and I still miss them to this day.
Hastings was also awesome from what I remember (granted it was less books, more general nerdy shit that was hard to come by in rural America) and when they tanked it changed me as a person. Why did all the good bookstores die and the shitty overpriced behemoth remain
I ve been there When I was a Kid.
I have a stuffed panda plush from Borders that I bought with my own savings when I was 11 and he has been with me through everything. Traumatic childhood, break ups, friendships, jobs, homelessness, across cities, across states, we’ve been through it all together. He’s comforted me and been there for me when no one else has. He’s unironically one of my best friends and I’ll always thank Borders for that.
Edit: I have been informed that Borders is trash. My opinion has thus been updated to reflect this newly digested information: Screw Borders.
Unfortunately they mismanaged their money and yeah...
While I know B&N has gotten better over the years, but Borders always had the superior manga selections available.
Don't you love when bookstores go from "sit here, and read a part of the book before you buy it, maybe while enjoying a coffee and a snack" to "BUY THIS CRAP AND GO HOME IF YOU WANT TO SIT"? I love it. I love capitalism destroying all things lovely and human in favor of aggressive selling tactics. This isn't hell at all! /sarcasm /copium
As a short person who already can't fully reach the top shelves, this would be a nightmare shopping experience. I would be lost and frustrated so easily. I pray my local B&N doesn't update!
Yes! How are short people supposed to get the books from that high! They’ll have the get like little stools or something, that are easy to move, because I am NOT asking for help to get a book down😭
Yeah, this is going to overwork the workers .-.;; now they'll need call buttons near shelves so people can actually get assistance for retrieving books >
One of the Barnes and Noble’s I frequent has step stools. Mind you, I still struggle to reach the top shelf but it’s better than nothing. Next time you’re at your store, maybe ask an employee or scan the store for one. They’re usually by the walls because the shelves are taller
The golden age that was 90s bookstores! I'm sorry so many of you missed it. It was AMAZING!
We also had cafés and sat around drinking espresso and hanging out with friends. There was more of a 'scene' and people went to bookstores and cafés to socialize with friends. It was cheap and fun. Now every cafè is Starbucks and bookstores don’t want customers to hang out.
Ask your doctor for prescription shoes... My cousin had a growth problem and they worked for him like a charm! So did his dialing wand for his hook hands!
Our books a million had a train to sit in in the kids section with a little tv and they'd play tapes of like Thomas and stuff and you could sit there and read. It was amazing
The way I sprained my finger to click this video lmao. I work at a BN and am so interested in the public discourse on this! The theory behind the remodel was to make the store emulate a more indie bookstore feeling-- that's why there are alcoves of different sections instead of regular shelves. The plans were actually decided on before lockdown, but lockdown did give them the opportunity to implement them more speedily. The thing is, you will find a pretty significant difference in shelving from store to store because of this whole "indie bookstore" intention. There aren't really corporation-wide shelving and display standards so much anymore, it's largely discretionary at this point. That's both good and bad imo-- it gives booksellers more individuality when it comes to what they promote, but they've also gotten rid of local store lists, which makes it very difficult for us to find things sometimes.
That’s interesting. And I kind of get it, there’s an indie bookstore near me that feels like a maze, and I kind of love it, because it’s just cozy. Although the ceilings are pretty low in some spots which probably helps. The ones near me are making these like big squares out of multiple shelves, and there is seating inside them, but I kind of hate bc it makes the store feel more crowded, and I can always see a whole bunch of people, which I don’t like. I really like symmetry so I never minded everything just being in these nice straight rows. So definitely mixed feelings. I haven’t been in one in a couple months, bc I’m trying to buy fewer books, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’ve changed anything at my local stores when I go back
Yeah I watched a video about the B&N remodel and the "indie bookstore" theory behind it and it sounded like a good idea. It seemed to give local branches so much more control and ability to react to their specific demongraphic. So it's interesting to hear it's not good in practice.
I'm not _thrilled_ with the one near me, but it's in a fairly expensive area, so space is at a premium and some of the aisles are a bit tight. One issue in particular is that they've got an elongated U section with an inset (scifi/fantasy on either side of the inset, manga on the inside of the U) and it's a heavily trafficked area. I can't comment on the store's profits and what they should devote more space to - whether or not this placement is a good idea, I just know that whenever I've been there that area has always been a bit tight.
@@xxxnightsky14 I think that so often there are things that are good ideas for independently owned or smaller chains that people really like, but when big, constantly busy chains try to implement them, it just isn’t a good idea in practice for the bigger places
@@xxxnightsky14 I mean, it's definitely working for the company financially, so the flaws aren't making too much of an impact I guess.
Oh! Hello from Canada we already had this happen to our one good big bookstore called Chapters. The CEO decided it was going to be a bookstore+, and the + was cheap home products like towels and candles, kind of like someone took a book store and merged in a bed, bath, and beyond, and then crammed a Starbucks into all of them. So all the locations lost 30-50% of their floor space to junk people have to walk past to get to the books... and now they're adding a small electronics department to them to sell ipads!
Just trying to turn themselves into a knock-off walmart/home sense instead of focusing on like, having good and talented staff (lord they try so hard the Chapters folks) with time to talk with customers and help them find good books and stuff, a welcoming space... truly short-sighted, misses the point of what retail's advantage over Amazon is. Amazon is the god of cheap crap, why pick that fight? (also they call it Indigo now I guess?)
As of 2022, they are fully just turning into a bedroom goods and soft products store? I don't really know how to describe what it is.
omg yes! like there is just a full on dishware selection??!! I just want my books, not a new living room
Hey! I even saw high end designer s*x toys (like 200$ a pop) in one of the Ottawa Chapters. It is getting Wild here. Like I don't mind the coffee cups and blankets, that's fun for a reading night in and I get it, but wow at everything else.
Oh yeah all that happened with the move from even calling it Chapters to Indigio. Except everyone I know still calls it Chapters.
Honestly tho, Black Bond is my number one place for books now. You get such good recommendations from the staff.
Yeah, they pretty much sell everything except books now. Also, the products they sell are cheap in quality but definitely not in price. One time during Christmas I saw them selling standard wrapping paper for 15 dollars😬
The chapters locations I've been to definitely have a lot of knick knacks and non book things, but I don't find a lack of book selection at least. What bothers me is that I can order I book for so much cheaper online from them, to the point that it would cost me $20+ extra to buy in store rather than order for pick up 🙃
"I'm worried that you guys are ruining the vibes and that my genius friend who I've never spoken to is not coming back." Damn, these are peak pisces vibes and I can relate...
Waterstones (the big bookstore here in england) decimated the "you want to hang out here" vibe of their stores a while ago and filled the empty space with random crap and lemme tell ya... I am way less inclined to go in and buy things from there now. I liked being able to sit and read a little of a book I was on the fence about after looking at the cover and blurb. Now I only buy stuff I've been recommended by close friends.
James Daunt, Waterstones CEO, is the B&N CEO now too, so that's what B&N is heading towards.
I have a waterstones in the netherlands kinda close to where I live. I feel like I need to check up if they are still cute like they were.
It was always a great place to relax and get some inner pease while doing some shopping
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one traumatized by the remodel! It’s okay Swell, I can’t handle change either.
Went to Barns and Nobles recently after a long time and wow...The place looked so...cheap? Idk how else to say it. Reminded me of a like yellow tinted old thrift store that no one cleans or something. Just a bad vibe. I left because the place was so depressing. Nothing like I remembered.
Reminder to visit your local book stores, no matter how old they look, lots have tarde programs and many titles.
One vintage bookstore in my area even has a membership program and cats sleeping on the shelves. Can’t be beat honestly.
If I ever find a cat bookstore, I will simply never leave
As much as I like the idea of a cat bookstore, I'm so allergic I wouldn't be able to even go inside. 😭
@@pendlera2959 That’s pretty disheartening, I’m sorry you can’t partake in the cat book stores. I hope you find a (insert animal your not allergic to) bookstore in the future so you still get the floofy vibes.
I wish I could visit my local bookstore but it literally just got exposed as treating their poc employees unfairly and no equal pay for them, a lot of SA and harassment allegations came out too big sad because I loved going there
I was living in an area that had a few leftists bookstores (found some of the coolest secondhand art books from there). I miss living in an area that has those now
It’s so fascinating to hear about your perspective on this, as I am a Waterstones bookseller in the UK, and since the hedge fund that owns us purchased B&N and appointed our CEO as your CEO as well, the Waterstonisation of B&N started. The shelves that you do not like are the “new kit” they introduced in London a long time ago now and they want to turn all Waterstones into these lifeless look-a-likes. So now that B&N is doing the same, basically they are hoping to do the same things across the pond as the did in the UK to increase sales, heavily relying on other merchandise that isn’t books. Unfortunately, this is going nowhere and will only increase.. Hope this was helpful x
A Barnes and noble near me now keeps comic books/manga where the music section was, and the alarm goes off if you take comics out of that section. Was told I could only look at them in there and when I told them I was disabled and couldn’t stand in one place for long periods of time and there were not chairs in the section, they said I’d just have to buy the book then
wtf….
Look for the sensor in the book and carefully peel it off, screw them. Also maybe an ADA complaint might help.
@@lainiwakura1776 not a bad idea! When I was in there somebody was standing right there to “help”
Honestly, though I feel for you as someone with a physical disability, comics (and manga) associated with a huge issue with people browsing and not buying. Part of the reason is that you can read a comic in a few minutes. You can read a manga in less than an hour. A novel, or even a magazine which someone is going to need to purchase to finish. Comics and manga are taking over B&N, but they also are commonly shoplifted.
of all things they want to spruce up, THEY COULD FIX THEIR WHACKY WEBSITE. Also I went into a B&N like this in Kingston, NY and it is just DISGUSTING.
As someone who used to live in Woodstock, that B&N was never great, to be fair 🤣
The kingston barnes and noble is truly horrible I hate it
@@soogymoogi okay that is true. Poughkeepsie is the best one in the Hudson Valley!
Their website is absolute trash. I have gone on it more than a few times fully intending to buy a book, but ending up frustrated and on Amazon instead.
Yes, I agree with Shianne, I refuse to go in B&N in Kingston. No hardcover books either…… Talk about being claustrophobic…….
"do you see what youre doing? youre messing with the vibes" PREACH!! give more places to loiter and study and hang around so that you spend a ton of time in there!! but i wont hang out in a place blocking their windows or replacing shelves with toys. im scared to travel an hour away to my b&n lmao
The kids book section gutting gets me bad. I've got a 5yo who loves books, but is also picky af, and he will not agree to get a book unless he can read half of it in store. So he's more likely to leave with nothing if he can't sit and read. The kids area also gave me and my husband a way to let him enjoy books while we could take turns actually looking at stuff. Now I just don't go to B&N because it's too frustrating.
Borders and Barnes & Noble were like my get aways 20 years ago... Once Borders was shut down forever, I knew change was in the air as far as physical reading places to go to (aside from libraries). I haven't been to a B&N in almost 20 years now. When I was a teen in the 80s, my get aways were Waldens Books and B. Daltons Books.
Didn't Barnes & Noble buy one of those other bookstores?
Yup
Oh how I miss Borders! It seemed so magical to me as a kid. B & N just never filled that hole for me
I too am still not over Borders 🫡
The part of the remodeling that irks me is that it seems the Middle Grade section has annexed by the "Young Readers" section and books like Skulduggery Pleasant that have people exploding in gore is being shelved alphabetical with like Captain Underpants and Dogman. Middle Grade is a huge category that is only getting bigger. They need their own shelf near the YA, it seems so short sighted to stick them under the Babar illustration in the reading corner.
🤔🤔❔❔❔
That just sounds like it'd confuse me as a kid who loves books and deter me from going to that store.
I loved the Percy Jackson series when I was 11. Would those be in children's or YA? If they were in childrens', I probably would have felt embarrassed going over there. If they were in YA, I probably wouldn't have read it that young, as I probably tried the first book on a whim after finding it with all the middle school stuff.
@@RariettyC yeah i think we need a middle grade and a new adult section because i’m tired of books in the YA section being not appropriate for teens (by my 15 year old standard i don’t think a book in the teen/Ya section should have rated R language and like rated R romance stuff) and i’m tired of middle grade books being put in children’s
@@abbeyy. Yeah, I personally don't like that books marketed at teens seem to be more R rated now more than ever. I don't have interest in reading R rated books, I feel like I should be able to do that.
I used to work in kids in 2021-2022, our managers said middle grade was just renamed young reader because people were confusing middle grade with only for middle schoolers and it was getting fewer readers (thus "young reader" being vague and wanting to bring more of an audience). BUT THEN people were confusing young reader with YA. I had thought middle grade and young reader was all the same content, just a renamed section.
I had rarely seen any gore in my section, that's such a disappointment that that's happening (occasionally I did). I had no idea they changed the content of MG before I started working. There were definitely graphic novels the computer said were in kids that were super graphic (no pun intended) and I'd want to move them but often was told not to since booksellers wouldn't be able to locate it. The computer sometimes had us put things in weird sections, I have no idea who dictates that. To be fair I was only there a year lol.
I’m like 99.9% sure that the new, ugly carpet was just way, way, *WAY* cheaper than the considerably better looking green stuff. The fact that it hides stains is almost certainly just a happy accident/surprise bonus.
Of course, I could be _completely_ wrong about all of this, it’s certainly happened to me plenty of times before, but… I dunno, I really feel like that’s their MO. 🤷🏼
“Your messing with the vibes. That’s a capitol offense.” 💀
The cozy vibes are dead! The new stores are so bright they give me a headache. Who puts blush with grey????? Those colors do not work together.
Thank god, that someone with a platform is speaking out for us b&n patrons!!! The remodel is definitely ruining the vibe even all the way here in NJ!!! They removed the entire 2nd floor and made it a company office that over looks the first floor???!?!?!?!?! 💀💀💀
As someone who works in a Midwest B&N, I am shell shocked at a multi floor store?!? 😂 my store is 75% original decor from our 2000 open. Wish we could get a remodel 💀
Your store sounds like a classic! The remodels are terrible
3:39 Siri’s response of “I won’t respond to that” was more terrifying to me than it had any business being.
I found it hilarious :D
I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.
I think book stores are one of the things we grew up with and has held on despite amazon and new tech.
Kind of like your parents/ grandparents moving out of the home you grew up with familiarity. The new house may be thier home, but it isn't the home you grew up with and doesn't feel the same or have the same memories.
As someone that is also angry - thank you for this. I can’t believe they took away the seating, they literally took the heart of the store.
As an employee, I feel like more customers ask me where the bathroom is rather than for help finding a book, because nobody can find the bathroom. I feel like that is probably a side effect of the store rearranging things, but I starting working there just after they shifted things around. Some sections are kind of just tucked away and are difficult to find if you don't know the store's layout. It's a little unintuitive at times
LOL this is exactly what i did today. i came excited to look around and then i became disappointed and just asked where the restroom was 🥲
the thing with me and remodels/reorganizing things is if i really don't like it and it changes my routine too much, like them taking away a lot of the seating areas, i'll just... stop going
The reno’d Barnes and Noble near me has Target energy which is a horrible energy for a bookstore. I went in once since it switched over and don’t want to ever go in again. I’m lucky I’m not far from two really awesome indie bookstores and several really great libraries because I will be avoiding that B&N unless I’ve been given a gift card, in which case I will be deciding what I want before I go and leaving as fast as I can.
Thank you for making this video! So, I'm not the only one. 🤔 In Rochester, NY, they've taken the armchairs and table and chairs away and also have less seating in the café. We go to "hang out" at the bookstore, and there's nowhere to sit, nada ... anymore. If all the tables fill up in the café, which is easy to do now, there is nowhere to sit and read your books. There have been times when we walked into the store, couldn't find a place to sit, so walked right back out. Stopped at a bakery on the way home, and had our own cozy reading, hanging out time with cats and candles. Which is nice! But we didn't drive across town so we could just turn around and sit and read at home. Signed ~Frustrated and Unhappy with the new B&N
Hearing this I'm so thankful that, where I live, the reading boom caused by the lockdowns and tiktok lead to a surge in independent bookshops (which all seem to be doing quite well) and a lot of chain bookshops playing up the "cosy/slow-living" vibes instead of whatever this is. Here there are more cosy corners and cafes being added, not less, because they've realised people coming in want a whole experience, not a physical amazon.
Ok so it *wasn't* all in my head. I used to walk through B&N all the time and of course once 2020 hit that went down. I went into a few over Christmas in two different states and it feels so... sterile. Like a hospital waiting room instead of the cozy but professional bookstore. Even as a teenager I loved sitting in the kids section while my younger siblings wandered around. And the cafe was wonderful to grab a book, grab a coffee and sit and drink. Especially in towns where there aren't a lot of cute independent cafes.
I'm really glad you're speaking out about this. I know that's weird but someone needs to do it.
i feel like taking seating away and having the space more open and less intimate is like that to promote the 'sale' instead of browsing... destroying the library vibe if that makes sense
Which is completely the anthesis of what the average book lover wants when they go the bookshop. Does the management even read? Bunch of out of touch boomers just thinking about profit without considering what their clients wants in terms of experience.
this is so fascinating as a b&n employee. I’ve seen some of the changes, but I can’t imagine us getting new carpet or shelves when all our equipment is broken, we don’t have lines in the parking lot, and we went like three months without an espresso machine lol. we also are working to add more study spots throughout the store! it’s probably because I’m in a smaller city, but I hope we can fend off these changes for a while.
This makes me so incredibly sad. Before I moved overseas last year, the B&N near us was fine, so I didn't think anything of it, but seeing what they've been doing to them all over the place, just, I am so sad. Barnes and Noble, specifically the one in Anchorage Alaska, where I was born and raised, was my go to place when I worked nights. It was the only place open with coffee and snacks till I had to be to work. I did so much homework there, but most importantly, it is where I met my husband. It is where we can many dates, where he proposed and technically where we got married! I even visited back home while I was pregnant with out first kiddo and gods does this make me sad.
Yeah, apologies about the manga thing, we kinda just came out of nowhere and took over. It is crazy to how much it's changed though! I remember when it only had one shelf and it wasn't even the full space of the shelf. Maybe B&B will hear the complaints and maybe do changes? Idk, but B&B really messed up with the design.
lol, it's amazing how manga (and graphic novels) have seen such a surge in popularity. The two-story mall B&N near me used to have like 2-3 shelves at the most of the two, and now the manga/gn section takes up like several walls. And the manga section is always packed during peak hours at the mall. As far as I can recall, one B&N had a huge wall of manga with an accompanying 2 and a half shelves of more manga/graphic novels/gaming books. everyone else only had the 2 shelves.
The Barnes and Noble near me closed, and I was so sad to see it go but not that sad because I prefer my local bookstore. And then the remodels started, and I was like oh maybe it's a good thing. Now a different indie bookstore is taking over the space. So it all turned out to be a big win!
I used to take my grandmother there to look at books, sit in the cafe, eat a pastry and drink a cup of coffee. I also liked to do the same thing for myself for alone time. Now my new Barnes and Noble layout got rid of the cafe and there is one singular seat in the entire store. Which is always taken. I’m actually heartbroken over this 😅 I haven’t been back since.
Amanda cursing out her voice assistant is something I didn't know I needed until now.
"I am not going to respond to that" - That assistant has been cursed at before 😆
I’m honestly confused bc all the B&N near me are closing down. Even the one by my college is GONE now! How does a bookstore a mile away from a major university CLOSE??? I need answers bc we don’t have many small book shops around here either. I relate to it being my safe space because I studied there all throughout high school & college til they GUTTED IT AND TURNED IT INTO NIKE 😫
If you are talking about the one in Orlando near UCF it was literally nike's fault! They offered the plaza money to kick the BN out so they could have that space - I worked there through all of it
I wish I had a Barnes and Nobles with a cafe to study in near me, all the closest ones are quite a drive away and my local library's under construction
so my search for a 3rd location to study continues
I knew instantly you meant Waterford in Orlando 😭😢
@@poeticsparrow omg I had no idea!! I moved downtown in 2021 and wasn’t around the area as much and then one day it was a mf nike!! I’ve had that happen to a world market as well in another place, they basically got bought out.
@@austindixon23 yes omg and I heard another one in the area was going to close but I’m not sure on it, it’s a sad time.
Omfg Amanda thank u for this video I thought it was just me. They moved and remodeled the one near me AND IT PISSES ME OFF. Shelves mad tall it feels like it’s towering over me and I get claustrophobic, the sections just placed all Willy nilly like a maze instead of regular aisles, it feels like an AI attempt at making an ikea set display😭😵💫I feel like a mouse in a maze trying to find the manga section instead of cheese💀
As a former BN employee who had to deal with a horrendous cafe remodel, I feel you.
The fact that the windows are covered is so sad. I have a favorite B&N that’s two stories with GORGEOUS windows and if they cover them I’ll be devistated
I work for b&n. I get you. My store hasn’t been hit too hard by the remodel but I dread the day we do. We get so many complaints re: the hardcover thing, and I wish there was something I could do about it, but we’re just one little store :/
I went to Barnes & Noble shortly after Christmas and they remodeled it to the point where I couldn't find what I was looking for. I had to ask someone for help which I hate doing.
Yeah-- in the store where I work, it's nearly impossible to find certain things without help.
I will circle the store 3 times, try to see if the location is listed online or it’ll pull up a little picture, sometimes I’ll even just leave if I don’t really need or really want what I’m looking for. I will do all of these things before asking somebody for help
Our Barnes and noble has been remodeled for a while. Sci-fi is in like 5 places, classics in 2, memoirs and autobiographies are so many places I stopped counting. I actually got aggravated because I couldn’t find the kinds of books that I like to read. Adult and YA were mixed together too. I left. The experience was so bad I left. Also: no places for children to sit and no cafe.
This video is so validating. I've hated the B&N set up for the last several months at my local one. Every section is set up as little weird boxes. There's no flow at all. You have to hit a dead end no matter what section you're in. It feels like a little maze instead of a nice store with the ability to meander from section to section. It is so bad. Nobody else I've talked to about it seemed to care, but I loathed it, a lot. Hearing you have the same issues feels so nice. I hope they put it back, but I doubt they will. The whole feel is off. I don't explore it anymore. I go to the section I need, and I leave. I'm typing this while watching and you just mentioned it being like a labyrinth! That's exactly it. It's terrible. This comment became a lot more rambly than I intended. Sorry. Thanks for the vid!
Editing to add, I used to go to B&N *at least* once a month to buy a book or two and just chill. Since the remodel, which I think occurred around October of last year, I've been there twice, AND didn't bother renewing my membership, because it won't pay for itself anymore if I'm going there less. So they've actively lost *at least* $80/month or so in the books I'd buy, plus whatever the cost of their annual membership is. That's small, but I assume I'm not the only one.
I've never been to this exact bookstore and it still makes me upset to see what they've done to the layout
They closed the closest Barnes and Nobles to me right after lockdown. I guess enough people were like "We gotta read too!!" So we're getting a new one a few blocks away. I'm ready for the re-design that I probably will hate
Barnes and noble was cozy af and felt like an old library. Now it's bright white and fluorescent and it triggers my anxiety. They also significantly downsized the one by me.
i’m glad you touched on the restriction bill that is being pushed to pass, it’s extremely worrying and wish i saw more creators talk about it! i miss when barnes and noble was exciting and fun to go to, each time i go now it’s disappointing and filled with merch that sometimes has no correlation with books/writing/reading. /:
As somebody who used to work at Barnes and Noble, my brain can’t handle looking at the remodel
Former B&N employee - was in my local store a few months ago and it was all sorts of messed up. I swear I had flashbacks of other times we did store relays and moved sections around. Only back then we never got so lost and things made sense
In high school I practically lived at my local barns and noble. After lock down I went back to get some new books and got stuck in a maze of shelves and had to circle around entirely (there was one way in and one way out I've learned through more visits and I feel like that's a fire hazard) couldn't find poetry at all had to ask an employee and was led down a different maze. And it was next to horror and manga which just didn't make sense to me
I think it’s the increasing obviousness of the commercialization and capitalism that makes it hard to swallow. Like I’m not naive, I realize they’re a business that is working to make as much money as they possible can off of us as customers and always have been but it seems less and less like they’re even trying the bare minimum to put up a facade. The blocking of the windows, the toy section, the unwillingness to support new authors, the lack of seating if that’s permanent. Everything is commoditized now and there’s this expectation that if you go there you’re buying something and not just enjoying the space itself.
I'm really annoyed that people aren't allowed to loiter anywhere! Why can't I just go places with no expectation of buying or paying for something? Where are teenagers and kids supposed to hang out? They want us to only go to places if we are going to buy, its annoying asf.
When I was in an awkward living situation a few years ago and the Barnes and Noble was my oasis. I'd spend hours there. Luckily when I went under I was in a much better situation but I still think back to those sanctuary hours with fondness.
This looks exactly like Waterstones here in the UK. Barnes and noble is owned by Waterstones, which is solidly a book store, but has much less of a library feel that your Barnes and noble seems to be.
The Waterstones near me only has a few shelves along the wall of books, and is mostly tables of curated books, which change super often so it's nice to just pop in and have a look at the new offerings and discover something new. It isn't a large store but also has a section for gifts, for cards etc. Which means I often go in for the purpose of finding a card and leaving with several books for myself and forgetting the card. The store has been this way for as long as I remember, the one I went to as a kid had an aquarium!
Obviously this works very well in the UK, where you just happen to be walking by a Waterstones on the way to somewhere else. Interesting to see how it'll work in America where things seem to be more destination driven
This explains a lot!
The only bookstore I go in now these days where I can actually finds things I like, is this used book store called The Book Man
Lovely dark wood shelves and flooring. Only on the edges of the bookshelves in the first room there are display cases for things like, feather pens, sketch books, crystals, Jewelry, Ghibi merchandise, and Lego mini figures.
The books in the first room is all the fiction and comic types stuff. While the second room is the non fiction type books.
And then, there's the cats that hang out in the store.
2 of them are orange cats cause that their mascot. But then there's a 3rd cat that they foster care for, that customers can adopt.
They did block off a window to make a cat room, in case any of them want to be away from the customers and look outside. But I never seen any crowding with the cats, they'll well respected there.
I adore that shop
ugh, and this is why Half Price Books is superior to Barnes and Noble. Even a HPB the size of a warehouse makes more sense than whatever B&N is trying to do. You're so right though, there's not as many seating as there used to be. Not that that stops people, tho. Like, especially when it's carpeted, people are gonna sit whether there's seating or not. Just means there's gonna be more "obstacles" for other customers to navigate around, just really adding onto the whole labyrinth vibe.
Back when I worked at Barnes and Noble (cafe, 2015) there was a 3D printer sat on the counter at customer service to be used in some event they were having. Someone stole it. I don’t know how they did it, but they grabbed it and walked right out of the store with it. 🤷🏽♀️😂
I remember waiting for hours at the midnight release for the fifth Harry Potter Book. That was peak Barnes and Noble
just thought you should know that as a mommy, i don’t have the time to remember anybody’s upload schedule… but seeing you at the top of my recommended every few days makes me genuinely happy. so thank you, amanda! 🥰
Honestly, as someone who works full time for Barnes&Noble I would be more than happy to answer the questions/theories you have for what's going on (as an employee that knows what's up more than what people just see on the surface/articles being released. Not in a legally representing B&N way). Not defending everything, and also I'm sure the really large stores in the large areas (LA, New York) are going to be much more annoying in their renovations and layouts. It's honestly just a really big combination of a lot of great changes, and a few really bad /annoying (that are more obvious/large scale) renovations and changes. And explaining the educator discount, it's not actually gone. You just can't use an educator card/discount for non-school and education purchases now. So your second cousin can't get the 20% discount for a candle, using your (FREE) educator membership. It's just a lot of information that isn't really out there well for some reason :)
Yall out here in your rich coastal and coastal adjacent cities with B&Ns that aren't a single 500sqft story in the back corner of a shoe store
I saw barnes and noble remodel and gasped in horror
can you also talk about the Target remodel bc they added pipped in music and waaaay harsher lighting, it made me realize old Target was much more sensory friendly and quiet
There used to be a 2 story Borders in San Antonio, Texas that was the PINNACLE of bookstores. It was a paradise. I would go there on vacation. It had the best kids area, a fantastic cafe...it was just delightful. Utterly delightful. The 2nd story had giant windows where you could see over the whole city. Barnes and Noble could never.
Daunt (who owns Daunt bookshop) also remodelled UK‘s Waterstones and rescued it from bankruptcy. The new B&N furniture and layout seems to be the one that’s in lots of our Waterstones shops here.
Waterstones CEO is now the CEO of b&n! when I was hired a b&n they told me they are using the same things to change b&n
Swell can’t cope with change for 26 minutes 😭 please make every rant content.
Going to Barnes & Noble now is like when a close relative died. I find myself going out of muscle memory, only to get there and realize what I'm looking for is gone. They did the remodel in my B&N months ago, and apparently leaving a rolling cart full of books in the romance aisle was a part of it, because it hasnt moved since. Also instead of romance being in the same aisle, with ITSELF, there is one side of romance with mystery on the other side & on the backside of that aisle is the rest of romance. So they're not even collected together. It's pissing me off to no end. I understand that Booktok is their best bet to stay alive but readers that "have a problem" have nowhere to go anymore. I'm going to have to take it all the way back & start hanging out at the library.
I don’t think they’ve remodeled my local stores yet, but some of the things you mentioned in the video have happened… there are a lot of booktok tags and it makes me roll my eyes. The expansion of the manga section has been great for my household though
It's funny you mention "minotaur who likes to read" because that was kind of what James Daunt had in mind. The idea is that you should "get lost in the bookstore". Sections are also now broken off because Mass Markets, Hardcover, and Trade Paperback are now in different sections. Seating should still be available, I am in a much smaller store but as far as I know seats will be put in those little "rooms" or sectioned off areas. With the closing of Toys R Us that is the reason we are selling more toys, to kind of capitalize on their absence. And I am glad you mentioned the shoplifting because that is a major reason I want to quit my job. Theft had a massive increase after the lockdown, and no we don't have more security or cameras to deal with it. It is incredibly stressful. Anyways, great videos and believe me alot of your frustrations are shared with the booksellers as well.