Opinion

Book buyers need to put money where their hearts are

Professing your love for the local bookstore is not enough to save it.

Discussion about the future of bookstores has brought out the best and worst in bookworms. For every customer who has come into our shop in the past few days and expressed their support, there are probably another five at home who have decided to jump on the web and see what the online book-buying fuss is all about.

It's possible that, having discovered a paperback copy of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for $8.15, the bookworm wavers. Save money by buying through a US or British-based website, or support my local, independent bookshop? A tough choice in a tough economic climate.

That's why most independent booksellers have responded with caution to the demise last week of RedGroup Retail, owners of Angus and Robertson and Australia's Borders chain.

"This must be good news for you,'' customers have been telling us. "It's like You've Got Mail,'' one said, referring to the 1998 movie in which Meg Ryan's character owns a small bookshop that is forced to close when Tom Hanks's big department store-like chain bookshop opens nearby. "The difference is, you win the battle.''

Our shop is just around the corner from Borders' South Yarra store. Since we opened in late 2009, it has never felt like a battle; the two business models are vastly different and Borders has been a convenient place to refer customers looking for a genre we don't stock. Certainly, it would be nice to think the week's media coverage might result in increased sales for our shop, and all of Melbourne's indie bookstores. But RedGroup's very public blaming of the online buying phenomenon for its woes conveniently shifted the spotlight off its own executives' performance. Now, everyone is talking online. The worry is, those who have never bought books via their computer may think, "Why not?''

But there is an upside. RedGroup's collapse offers independent bookshops a chance to capitalise on some very tangible goodwill. Customers tell you they want you to stay in business, which is reaffirming. Publishers who have lost - in some cases - 20 to 30 per cent of their business because of the A&R-Borders meltdown will be more open to doing deals and the savings can be passed on to our customers.

But local book buyers must realise that it's no longer enough to say you love us. Independent bookshops are being threatened by what Chris Redfern of The Avenue Bookstore calls "the three-pronged attack - a high Aussie dollar, the Book Depository form of buying online, and e-books''. Indies must now state their case and remind people that browsing in a beautiful, well-stocked bookshop that offers good service, free knowledge and a strong range of Australian books comes at a price. The price is, you have to buy a book from us and resist the temptation to go online.

"In a way, what's happened with Borders and Angus and Robertson has been a good thing because it's making people reflect on their book-buying experience,'' says Redfern. "And many people are saying, 'You know what? We do want service. We do want a nice experience.'''

Tim White of Books for Cooks describes the bookseller as "a bespoke retailer. The experience of being in an independent bookstore is a bit like saying, 'I don't want to buy a suit off the rack, I want one that is made to fit me.' A good bookseller will match you with your book, and the book fits.''

Referring to RedGroup's collapse, White observes that "the art of small bespoke hand-selling is perhaps one of the things that's lost once you commoditise books''.

The key to our sector's survival, then, is to buy books according to our customers' interests, while having faith that any new authors or titles we introduce will be keenly received. We must display our stock appropriately, encourage browsing, start conversations about books, and do everything we can to match the right book with the right reader.

We need to tackle publishers about pricing, and pass any savings on to customers. Australian writing is also something that international online retailers don't do well, but we do - or should. And we need to remember that books are not commodities, they are works of art.

Corrie Perkin is a Melbourne bookseller and journalist.

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Posted By: Corrie Perkin on 23/02/2011 2:25:00 PM | Comments (10)

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I can't believe that a@r won't accept the full value of gift cards when customers try to redeem them. the kotara shop has a sign up stating if you have a 40$ gift card you have to spend $80 to redeem the card. e.g. you have to double whatever the value of the card is to get to use it. I'll never buy gift cards again.

Posted by iceberg, 23/02/2011 3:09:16 PM

We shouldn't 'feel sorry' for big chain stores like Angus and Robertson etc. Nor should we support big departments stores - sure they offer books at very low prices, but can they do a book search for you? Can they give you advice? We should always support our local independent bookstores and if you want to buy online look at them first!

Posted by wizard, 23/02/2011 3:46:26 PM

As I live in a small NSW town with no bookshop only a few titles available at the newsagency, I buy all my books online through Booktopia (an Australian company) SAervice is first class and delivery is within a week. Don't knock all online retailers.

Posted by sharonw, 23/02/2011 3:55:55 PM

I used to support the local bookstore until the prices reached more than double what I could get from other sources. A hardcover from Kmart or Big W could be readily bought for under $20, but they regularly charged $40, orten over the RRP on the rear of the book.

Now I get items from large stores or overseas from Amazon.Com as there is no way I'll spend the money the smaller stores are asking. Heck they would not even accept A&R gift cards (but they sold them there!), even when they were an A&R store.

Posted by David, 23/02/2011 6:30:10 PM

There are two reasons I buy books online.

1. Book stores are not wheelchair friendly.

2. Almost all bookstores do not have much in variety in books, I love history and religious books some things I read about are never stocked by A&R, Dymocks etc, and I have been told over the phone they can not get the book I asked about, so my only option is to buy it online.

Posted by Wobbles, 23/02/2011 6:56:31 PM

If the Aust publishing industry wasn't being protected by govt through taxing the life out of imports, they might be forced to lower prices to allow independent bookshops to be price competitive with on-line retailers. I know booksellers who cannot buy books wholesale as cheap as individual buyers because of the tax impost in this country.

Posted by store1, 24/02/2011 12:56:31 PM

To David - yes at Big W and Kmart you can buy books alot cheaper then small bookstores, but thats because they buy them in at a loss and sell them for these rediculous prices in order to get you into their shop. Ask yourself this though, will big stores order a title in for you? (No) Will a big store look up an author's previous book or the next book in a series? (No). If little bookstores start disappearing it will be a very sad day for us all.

Posted by wizard, 24/02/2011 1:35:37 PM

To Wizard - there are a lot of small franchised A&R stores run as family businesses caught up in this unfortunate mess. I not only feel sorry for them but also the people who will likely lose their jobs in the coming weeks. I also think our Govt. should get off its butt and change the parallel importation laws that protect the Aust. book industry obstenibly from the exact same publishers worldwide, they simply use these laws to inflate book prices here and ship the profits back to the US and UK. These laws prevent retailers from sourcing cheaper editions of the exact same book from the US if it is published locally. Hence the local publishers ramp up the prices and put books in more expensive formats (larger). The book depository freight free service is fully subsidised by the UK Govt. In effect the UK Govt. are subsidising a private company to help destroy the retail market for books worldwide, from the outside this stinks and by the time this subsidy finishes much damage will be done.

Posted by Friendly Phil, 25/02/2011 2:33:08 AM

i think we are getting overly sentimental here. bookstores do not "match me with a book" i go in and find a book i like. i don't chat with the owner nor do i want to. i want to be let alone to browse and find what i want--and have it be affordable. since affordable books are impossible to find in australia my favorite bookstore is the library.

Posted by joe, 25/02/2011 7:15:41 AM

At many discount book stores they're practically giving the books away. Libraries are free. Wesley Mission and St. Vincent de Paul, as well as other charity stores, have a good range of children's books and novels for 5c and up. We have the freedom of choice, and it's obvious that customers have elected to shop where there is better value for money.

Posted by Cheeba's Mum, 26/02/2011 11:00:56 PM

Here is the place for you to vent on any national or world news and lifestyle stories on the YourGuide websites. If there is anything you see or hear that you like or don't like, tell us. Don't keep it to yourself!