Save Bookshops

[cookiemonster]

Why stop at "saving" independent book shops, why not independent Bakers, Butchers, Grocers, Hardware Stores, Garages, Pharmacies, Furniture stores, Cinemas, Theatres, Music Halls.... etc etc

No arguments from me on that point. But the OP was about bookshops.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

A couple of months ago I came across an appeal on Twitter by a local bookshop in Alva, seeking funding for an ambitious goal. Their landlord was selling the shop, causing a panic for the bookseller until she wondered if it was possible to find 1000 people who’d invest £35 each to buy the shop, have their name written on the outside of the building and receive a pre-loved book every month for a year.

She thought the idea might be silly but within three days she had raised just under £47,000. It transpired that her valuation was out of date and the legal costs etc will take it to £55,000 and she has achieved that with donations at £56,000 and still coming in.

This story only began in 2020 when she started offering books from her folding bookcases once a week in her local park. Word spread and the popularity grew to the point she felt there was enough interest to operate from a real bookshop. She started a GoFundMe page and within a single day had enough money to open up.

The shop is open from 10:00-19:30, with comfy chairs and a kettle at the ready. As she explains on her funding page, the shop sells books on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis and is a cosy, safe place for anyone to enjoy stories, meet friends and have a chat. A place where everyone belongs.

Donations are used to pay the utility bills and any income above the basic running costs is given to a different charity each quarter.

You can follow the shop’s story at Guid Read on Facebook, and the Go Fund Me page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/guid-reads-community-book-shop

I donated because the story struck a chord and I’d rather see a real bookshop succeed than a tax-evading monolith.

 

[Mugshot]

Quite a lot here about convenience, that shopper's habits have changed because what they really want is the ability to be able to browse and order from the comfort of their armchair. That the high street needs up their game to compete. It's nonsense on stilts, the driving factor behind it is price.

Customers were, and are, more than happy to go to the inconvenience of visiting their local retailer, getting all the info they need, then toddle off home to buy the stuff online cos it's a little bit cheaper. A price the high street, or independent, would almost never be able to complete with because they're up against some mega corp that doesn't pay their taxes, or some drop shipper selling from their basement.
Now, with high streets decimated, they've largely removed that option for themselves.

I had a conversation a while ago with the owner of a, now closed, Christian book shop, who was telling me that people would come in and take a photo of the books info then scuttle off to buy from Amazon. People regularly want to take photos of my brochures, or will ask who manufactures a particular tile (like they have any idea about one end of a tile manufacturer from another). When I sold furniture, people would stand in front of me and search for the item on line to see if they could find it cheaper, they would sometimes find it a couple of quid cheaper, decide not to buy from me as a result, and choose instead to order online. They could had me put the item in the back of the car for them there and then, that's convenience. I don't know of a single independent retailer in my industry, and this is from conversations with reps that cover pretty much the whole country, that doesn't feel the need to change the name of every item they sell to try to prevent people browsing and choosing with them, and then buying online.

I've lost count of the amount of times someone has bemoaned the loss of the high street and the state of town centres to me, then when asked, told me how wonderful their Amazon Prime account is.

Convenience my arse.

 

[BoldonLad]

Quite a lot here about convenience, that shopper's habits have changed because what they really want is the ability to be able to browse and order from the comfort of their armchair. That the high street needs up their game to compete. It's nonsense on stilts, the driving factor behind it is price.

Customers were, and are, more than happy to go to the inconvenience of visiting their local retailer, getting all the info they need, then toddle off home to buy the stuff online cos it's a little bit cheaper. A price the high street, or independent, would almost never be able to complete with because they're up against some mega corp that doesn't pay their taxes, or some drop shipper selling from their basement.
Now, with high streets decimated, they've largely removed that option for themselves.

I had a conversation a while ago with the owner of a, now closed, Christian book shop, who was telling me that people would come in and take a photo of the books info then scuttle off to buy from Amazon. People regularly want to take photos of my brochures, or will ask who manufactures a particular tile (like they have any idea about one end of a tile manufacturer from another). When I sold furniture, people would stand in front of me and search for the item on line to see if they could find it cheaper, they would sometimes find it a couple of quid cheaper, decide not to buy from me as a result, and choose instead to order online. They could had me put the item in the back of the car for them there and then, that's convenience. I don't know of a single independent retailer in my industry, and this is from conversations with reps that cover pretty much the whole country, that doesn't feel the need to change the name of every item they sell to try to prevent people browsing and choosing with them, and then buying online.

I've lost count of the amount of times someone has bemoaned the loss of the high street and the state of town centres to me, then when asked, told me how wonderful their Amazon Prime account is.

Convenience my arse.

Let us imagine a world where, a magic wand was waved, and Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

So, I want to buy a new TV (or other appliance of your choice), I now have a choice, buy from local my High Street retailer, you know, get the bus into town, or, drive into town and have to find a parking space, etc etc, and, or course, go when the shop is open, or, sit at my Computer, at a time which suits me, order from Appliances Online (or Richer Sounds, or online retailer of your choice), have said TV delivered, next day, have it installed if I wish, have old TV removed, if I wish, all without leaving my chair.

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

Let us imagine a world where, a magic wand was waved, and Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

So, I want to buy a new TV (or other appliance of your choice), I now have a choice, buy from local my High Street retailer, you know, get the bus into town, or, drive into town and have to find a parking space, etc etc, and, or course, go when the shop is open, or, sit at my Computer, at a time which suits me, order from Appliances Online (or Richer Sounds, or online retailer of your choice), have said TV delivered, next day, have it installed if I wish, have old TV removed, if I wish, all without leaving my chair.

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

On the plus side, Amazon would be paying their taxes.

 

[Deleted member 49]

Let us imagine a world where, a magic wand was waved, and Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

There's no such thing as magic....it's called being fair.

 

[BoldonLad]

On the plus side, Amazon would be paying their taxes.

I have no problem with that...... taxes paid (by all), and convenience, what is not to like?

 

[Deleted member 49]

I have no problem with that...... taxes paid (by all), and convenience, what is not to like?

How about a bit of consideration for the workforce ?

 

[BoldonLad]

There's no such thing as magic....it's called being fair.

OK.

Let us imagine a fair world where, Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

So, I want to buy a new TV (or other appliance of your choice), I now have a choice, buy from local my High Street retailer, you know, get the bus into town, or, drive into town and have to find a parking space, etc etc, and, or course, go when the shop is open, or, sit at my Computer, at a time which suits me, order from Appliances Online (or Richer Sounds, or online retailer of your choice), have said TV delivered, next day, have it installed if I wish, have old TV removed, if I wish, all without leaving my chair.

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

Happy now

 

[Deleted member 49]

OK.

Let us imagine a fair world where, Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

So, I want to buy a new TV (or other appliance of your choice), I now have a choice, buy from local my High Street retailer, you know, get the bus into town, or, drive into town and have to find a parking space, etc etc, and, or course, go when the shop is open, or, sit at my Computer, at a time which suits me, order from Appliances Online (or Richer Sounds, or online retailer of your choice), have said TV delivered, next day, have it installed if I wish, have old TV removed, if I wish, all without leaving my chair.

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

Happy now

I don't know who your trying to convince ? How about the bloke that owns the TV shop...been in your town/city for 20 years but is now struggling to survive.Feck him I can get the same tv 20 quid cheaper and sat on my arse at home.So what my money doesn't stay local,I want it cheap and I want it now.....do you get my point ?

 

[BoldonLad]

I don't know who your trying to convince ? How about the bloke that owns the TV shop...been in your town/city for 20 years but is now struggling to survive.Feck him I can get the same tv 20 quid cheaper and sat on my arse at home.So what my money doesn't stay local,I want it cheap and I want it now.....do you get my point ?

I suggest you read my post again. I actually said, I (and I suspect) many others would pay more for the convenience of being "sat on my arse at home".

Would you like me to buy a horse, so that I can patronise the local blacksmith and saddle maker, or get rid of my indoor toilet, so that I can patronise the "privy emptying man", or, dispense with my alarm clock, and use the services of the "knocker upper", dispense with my computer, TV, radio, newspapers and use the services of the Town Crier?

Things change, we adapt.

Before I. retired, I was an IT Worker, not too many of them around when I was born.

 

[Mugshot]

Let us imagine a world where, a magic wand was waved, and Amazon (and others) started to pay their taxes, and, if their prices increased (as a result), so they were comparable with "the High Street".

So, I want to buy a new TV (or other appliance of your choice), I now have a choice, buy from local my High Street retailer, you know, get the bus into town, or, drive into town and have to find a parking space, etc etc, and, or course, go when the shop is open, or, sit at my Computer, at a time which suits me, order from Appliances Online (or Richer Sounds, or online retailer of your choice), have said TV delivered, next day, have it installed if I wish, have old TV removed, if I wish, all without leaving my chair.

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

I'm certainly not talking about removing that choice. I'm not immune from online shopping myself, though never the likes of Amazon.
However the convenience argument is nonsense in many cases. The examples I gave, and it's not an exhaustive list, was of people who want to see, touch and judge what they might want to buy, who then make a deliberate decision to get all the information they can from bricks and mortar, then go and buy online because it's cheaper. It was never convenience that was behind their decision making, it was price.

Internet shopping has decimated the high street, and possibly that was always going to be the case, eventually, but because of the way online retailers are allowed to trade, the vast majority of bricks and mortar stores were never going to be able to adapt quickly enough to compete, nor have alternative businesses been able to move in to fill the spaces they've left behind.

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm certainly not talking about removing that choice. I'm not immune from online shopping myself, though never the likes of Amazon.
However the convenience argument is nonsense in many cases. The examples I gave, and it's not an exhaustive list, was of people who want to see, touch and judge what they might want to buy, who then make a deliberate decision to get all the information they can from bricks and mortar, then go and buy online because it's cheaper. It was never convenience that was behind their decision making, it was price.

Internet shopping has decimated the high street, and possibly that was always going to be the case, eventually, but because of the way online retailers are allowed to trade, the vast majority of bricks and mortar stores were never going to be able to adapt quickly enough to compete, nor have alternative businesses been able to move in to fill the spaces they've left behind.

I understand exactly what you are saying... I even agree with you, to a large extent.... all I am saying is, even if the prices were equalised, or, even online became slightly (a subjective term, I admit) more expensive, the High Street is not going to reclaim it's former position. We need to accept that and adapt. IMHO, of course.

 

[Deleted member 49]

I understand exactly what you are saying... I even agree with you, to a large extent.... all I am saying is, even if the prices were equalised, or, even online became slightly (a subjective term, I admit) more expensive, the High Street is not going to reclaim it's former position. We need to accept that and adapt. IMHO, of course.

So do you ever buy online from someone local ? Or is you first choice Amazon etc.

 

[matticus]

...
... the High Street is not going to reclaim it's former position. We need to accept that and adapt. IMHO, of course.

What do you propose these adaptations will (or should) look like?