Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] those of you waiting for a Fry's or BestBuyin Columbia...

[Jonathan King <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Tue, 8 Oct 2002, Neil Bradshaw wrote:

> I think the difference is that restaurants are different business
> models. That's food service, and many restaurants also attact certain
> types of people looking to keep certain reputations and such.

Well, that too, I guess.
 
> In retail, everyone wants product fast and that's all that matters.
> Granted, some people might think they're above Wal-Mart by shopping at
> Target or something, but for the most part retail is there to sell
> certain items to everyone regardless of social status as fast as they
> can based on demographic demand.

Most retail is that way, but not all.  So, Walmart probably sells the
titles that account for maybe 90% of all book sales in the country, but
they wouldn't touch the other 10% with a 10-foot pole because those would

  a) take up a total of 75,000 square feet of space
  b) produce smaller profits overall per square foot than 8 inventory 
     turns of shampoo.

Similarly, Barnes & Noble probably sells the titles that account for
maybe 99% of all book sales in the country, but they wouldn't offer the
1% (except as special orders or on the web) because those would

  a) take up a total of 50,000 square feet of space
  b) produce smaller profits overall per square foot than calendars
     and starbucks coffee.

Now then Borders probably sells the titles that account for maybe 99.5% of 
all book sales in the country, but wouldn't offer the other 0.5% (except 
as special orders or on the web) because those would

  a) take up another 25,000 square feet of space
  b) produce smaller profits overall per square foot than CDs of
     Mongolian throat singing.

If you live in a big enough (or bookish enough) market, you can actually
have one or more bookstores that will sell primarily the other 0.5% of
books.  Columbia, alas, does not yet seem to qualify.  So the selection at
9th Street is still improving, but their stock is essentially subsumed by 
what you can get at B&N.  The University Bookstore pushes the envelope a 
bit further, but their profits are greater for Clinique and sweat 
shirts...

jking


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