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Comment by bonesinger | Hacker News Reader

I love Barnes and Noble, however, one of my issues with BN is that they are mostly out of the way and not near malls where they'd get a lot of traffic.

Another issue I think is absolutely mind boggling is that their online prices are not what's in store; you can't even price match their website with their own in-store pricing, let alone price matching with Amazon.

I generally browse BN and then pull up Amazon to check pricing there, and either order the book with same-day delivery/next day or buy the e-book. Its still cheaper to pay for same day/next day than to buy it in store.

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That sort of behavior is what is killing retail. If you're going to browse the showroom it is more than a little backhanded to then buy from an online competitor with less overhead.

If I find a product I want to buy in a store I will buy it there. More often than not, though, retailers don't have what I need and I end up forced to buy online anyway.

"If you're going to browse the showroom it is more than a little backhanded to then buy from an online competitor with less overhead."

How so? Why is it my responsibility as a consumer to ensure that certain companies stay in business?

It's only your responsibility to later not gripe about the fact that showrooms no longer exist.

I'm in no way obligated to buy something in the store, especially when they have obfuscated policies regarding pricing. How can you justify a higher price in store when you have a lower price online and your competitor has a lower price and same day delivery? I get 25% BN discount from my gf's teacher discount and stuff is still more expensive than their own online pricing.

If I find a significant price difference, I'm going to buy it online. However, I will go out of my way to purchase at small business because there are benefits to that.

>How can you justify a higher price in store when you have a lower price online and your competitor has a lower price and same day delivery?

The fact that you bothered to go to the store when you could have just browsed their on-line catalog from your home is enough justification, IMO.

A lower price online is justified because there is less overhead.

The higher price is because they have to pay for employees to serve you, HVAC and lighting so you can be comfortable and see at night, the capital investment for everything needed to run the store, plus local taxes. All for the convenience of letting you see the product first hand.

Taking advantage of all those things and then robbing them of a sale isn't fair to the business trying to stay afloat. Comparison shopping between proprietors on equal footing is fair. Not between brick-and-mortar and a warehouse operation with huge economies of scale.

> That sort of behavior is what is killing retail. If you're going to browse the showroom it is more than a little backhanded to then buy from an online competitor with less overhead.

It makes perfect sense; there's definitely a tragedy of the commons involved, but its created by the store owner giving away their compelling differentiating offering rather than selling it.

OTOH, its hard to see what the viable alternative is.

They could sell stuff online for just as cheap as Amazon. They could offer delivery to stores so you can pick it up there and save on shipping. They could do lots of things. We're not obligated to support their failing business plan. I always attempt to buy local first, and do if it's the better option. Not my fault if local stores make it difficult.

I've seen "malls" mentioned a few times in various comments. Can you elaborate on why you think B&N should be in malls, given the current poor state of malls in the US? Many are seeing financial troubles, or shutting down completely.

It's anecdotal for me, but where I am in Illinois, there is a BN in Old Orchard Mall which is a Simon property and is a high end mall (Nordstrom, Bloomingdales etc...). It gets a ton of foot traffic and is packed on the weekends. There is another BN in Schaumburg, IL, an affluent suburb about 20-30 minutes away and it is not in a mall. I used to live there and go to that BN a lot, it was very quiet and empty unless they were running an event.

It's not just Amazon - you can find the books at Barnes and Noble's website and order them way cheaper than the store!

Your behavior is not true to someone who loves Barnes and Noble. You are using them as Amazon's showroom. At best, your actions say that you enjoy the showroom BN provides but you are unwilling to pay for it. Great way to drive them out of business.

Sounds like you love Amazon, not Barnes and Noble, and you're willing to help Amazon drive its competitor out of business--all while visiting the competitor and using his inventory. Delicious irony.

Maybe you are right, but I do enjoy going to BN and I do buy stuff there from time to time. My gf is more willing to buy in store than I am, probably because of the nature of books she purchases (kids books for school) versus my books (Tech) which are significantly more expensive.

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