I love Barnes and Noble. I know, they’re a chain, but our local bookstore options are pretty limited. We have one minuscule indie that, I’m sorry to say, is a sad excuse for a bookstore, and another chain (more on them in a minute).
Our B&N is a beautiful store, right in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo. It’s a great place for browsing (although the chairs have recently disappeared) and the staff is kind and helpful. Also, it’s the only building in SLO with an escalator (but only one…you can escalator up, but you must walk down), so there’s the added entertainment of watching kids try to run down the up escalator, followed by an employee booming out “No playing on the escalator. It is NOT a toy.” This cracks me up every time.
However, because the B&N is downtown, there’s no such thing as a quick stop by the bookstore. Parking is an issue, and whether it’s one of the rare street spots or in the parking garage, you have to pay.
So I frequently stop by the other chain in town, Borders, located in big box store land. It is not as beautiful, nor as well-stocked or well-employed as B&N. Walking into B&N is like hearing angels sing. Walking into Borders is like walking into an out-of-control daycare. For some reason, children like to have screaming tantrumey meltdowns in the store on a regular basis. And the employees are either very helpful, or very clueless. So the chance of a good Borders experience is a total crap shoot. They also seem to rearrange every other month, so I can never find anything outside of the fiction section. However, they have free parking and they give good coupons, so I keep returning.
And that brings me to the point of this whole love-fest/rant. OMG, Borders, stop sending me emails every other minute!!!! You are seriously pissing me off. Also, the recommendations thing creeps me out, because why are you tracking my purchases?? And stop bugging me about the new Rewards program! Yesterday’s Oprah email (buy the book now!) was the last straw…I swear, Borders has no shame. I’ll admit I don’t want to be removed from the mailing list, because those 33% coupons are too good to turn down, but I did set up a filter so that all of my Borders emails now get dumped into a folder, where I can conveniently ignore them until I want a coupon.
The bad part of me wishes they would just go out of business and take their tempting 33% coupons with them, and that some risk taker would open up a really cool indie store in its place. If that happened, I would even forsake the place where angels sing.
Borders is more convenient for me to get to, so I tend to go there. I’m the kind of person who won’t ask for help in a bookstore, so I don’t know the merits of the different staffs…but Borders coupons are way better. And because if I have to go to a chain I want to spend as little as possible, I always end up going to Borders. But I’d rather hang out in a B&N, as long as the chairs were there!
Erin´s last [type] ..CRP- The Chronicles of Narnia Part 1
The chairs weren’t even that comfy, but I do miss them. It’s a lot harder to get off of the floor with an armful of books.
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
I know just what you mean about those frickin emails! The one and only time I tried to use one of their coupons, they told me that it was a misprint and should have only gone out to the people in California, so I couldn’t use it. I have never shopped there again, and kind of think they are shady in some ways. I have tried and tried to get off their mailing list, but all to no avail. I just keep directing them into my spam folder. I will never, never shop there again.
I’d boycott them, too, except they actually take my coupons. I guess I’m lucky I live in California!
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
I rarely go to Borders because of all the things you mentioned – it’s exactly the same here, reminds me of Walmart… anyway, I was there the other day and the lady at the counter bugged me for 20 MINUTES about the rewards card, going over my account and telling me how much money I’d spent in the last year, and why I qualified for gold and whatever else, and the whole time I was thinking, you know what? I get good enough coupons already, why should I spend money to upgrade to a store I never want to go to?
Our only indie in San Antonio is awful too.
Walmart…that’s it exactly! Our Borders store even had a greeter for awhile. She was sweet, but overly helpful.
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
The nice thing about ranting…especially to receptive listeners…is that you feel so much better when you are done…good for you!!!
Patty´s last [type] ..Not lingering with this book
Thanks for listening.
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
Funny! Both the downtown Santa Barbara Barnes and Noble and Borders are going out of business. Crazy, huh?
Helen´s last [type] ..Global Reading Challenge Completed
I knew about the Borders in SB closing, but B&N too? Hope that works out well for Chaucer’s!
Same here…I’d heard about Borders, but the B&N surprises me. That’s a big store, too. Go Chaucers!
Borders is literally the only game in town in Simi Valley, so it’s fortunate I like shopping there! I hope it stays around; the Borders in Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara are both closing. Maybe they should be less generous with the coupons?
Even though they’re chain stores, I like the fact that each Borders and B&N I visit has something unique about it – they don’t all stock the exact same stuff and shelve it all in the exact same way, which would take all the fun out of browsing.
Florinda´s last [type] ..Imagineits been 30 years
They really do differ from store to store…I’ve been in some really nice Borders, and some pretty shabby B&Ns. In fact, the SB store had a totally different feel than my beloved SLO store.
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
Our only privately owned bookstore closed several years ago. Now we only have B&N (not quite as nice as yours) and Books a Million, for which we have to drive to another city.
Stephanie´s last [type] ..Just Want to Say …
I have yet to experience a Books a Million.
softdrink´s last [type] ..A Tale of Two Bookstores
I have both chains in my town as well, but I’m the opposite! I enjoy going to Borders (actually I’m in one right now) much more than I do B&N. I find the employees to be nicer at the former and the vibe to be better– even if it isn’t, I’ll admit, as pretty as B&N.
She´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday -
Bookstore vibes are very, very important. I’ve been in a few B&Ns where the angels definitely weren’t singing.
Well you may be in luck, as I recently heard (or read??) that Borders may merge with B&N?? I don’t do either, as I love Amazon…customer service and prices can’t be beat IMO. I have to drive 20 miles to an Indie.
Bibliophile By the Sea´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday
I would only support a merger if the only thing that survived from Borders were the 33% off coupons.
I’m also a big fan of B&N. There aren’t any good indies around here either, and B&N is in the same shopping center where I work, so it’s very convenient. Plus I agree about the angels singing.
Heather @ Book Addiction´s last [type] ..The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin
OMG…I’d be broke if I worked next to a B&N!
I hated the SLO Borders because they didn’t have a bathroom….
rhapsodyinbooks´s last [type] ..Review of “The Birth of Venus” by Sarah Dunant
LOL! Yep, that would do it for me, too.
Care´s last [type] ..JOY
I really enjoyed this post! It’s so fun to see what the bookstores are like in different towns! Borders emails make me crazy too -every day there are like 5 in my inbox, yet I can’t help but love the discounts! However, we don’t really have B&N in SF downtown anywhere and there are Borders all over so alas its convenient too. Also my indie bookstores near my house are SO dusty. It’s weird. They freak me out.
Amused´s last [type] ..Lonesome Dove Read Along – Week 10
I know someone who worked at Borders. You do NOT want to know how crazy their management is.
Oh, I can totally relate! We only have a Borders and a B&N in my town and its the exact same way. I find that the workers at Barnes and Noble are so much more knowledgeable than the people at Borders. And I have such a hard time finding ANYTHING at Borders.
I actually have a friend who was hired in at Borders for the holiday season and she told me that half the people who work there know nothing about literature, so its no wonder they aren’t helpful!
Allie´s last [type] ..Review- Thunder Rolling in the Mountains by Scott ODell and Elizabeth Hall
I totally feel you on the irritation of the neverending Borders e-mails. I never usually go to Borders, as I prefer my local B&N. The B&N website is blocked at my office though, while the Borders website is not, so my online book purchases generally come from Borders. Not to mention that my last name is Borders and my husband is distantly related to the people who started the chain, so I feel a small bit of allegiance. Plus I just think it’s kind of fun to share my last name with a bookstore. Lame, I know.
Stephanie´s last [type] ..Book Review- Annie on my Mind
I don’t have a B&N close and thankfully, the Borders that is nearby is decent. i do wonder, however, why I never heard from them when I applied for a job. I’mthinking I probably knew too much abt literature…
Care´s last [type] ..JOY
Reading this post just reminded me that the Borders near us is closing (for many of the same reasons you cited … they just don’t seem as good as B&N) and I need to go see what deals I can find.
Jenners´s last [type] ..Review- Red in the Flower Bed by Andrea Nepa
I’ve never had a Borders in my neighborhood, so I feel like I can’t judge. But I did love my Barnes & Noble back home — it was all high ceilings and pictures of Oscar Wilde on the wall. I’m still working on finding my very best independent bookstore in NYC.
Jenny´s last [type] ..New York giveth- and New York taketh away
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with all bookstores this year! Did you hear that Borders may be purchasing B&N? Or maybe it was the other way around — anyway, rumor has it that there are “talks” between the two. Can you imagine?
Coffee and a Book Chick´s last [type] ..Guest Post – Robin Spano- author of Dead Politician Society
I really don’t care for Borders at all. I removed myself from their mailing list because they kept sending me stuff for their “partners.” The Borders by me is at the end of the mall, which is great if you happen to be at the mall and need to run in, but it smells like mildew and seems to be some sort of sorting store in that nothing is ever where it’s supposed to be.
I prefer B&N although now they have a giant Nook bar blocking my way upon arrival.
Ti´s last [type] ..The Sunday Salon- Tween Angst- Indie Lit Awards- In-Between Reading
The bad news is that one of the major stockholders for Borders is trying to work a deal for them to buy B&N. I’m with you, I much prefer B&N. Mine isn’t so much a matter of parking or escalators or even employees since neither of the stores I go to has very helpful employees. I just prefer the look of B&N. You know where things will be and I prefer the set up in general.
Lisa´s last [type] ..Holiday Tag!
I stopped getting my Borders emails and am actually a bit miffed. I was on hold with Borders for about 20 minutes yesterday trying to fix and finally had to hang up.
We have a new indie bookstore fairly close to my house but without the discounts it just isn’t tempting for me to go. I know I should, but when I spent $18 on a paperback of Ulysses I thought–no way. Could have paid $10 at Borders!!
LOVE B&N but the closest one is in the mall and it’s a pain in the neck to get in and out.
I feel bad for bombarding you with comments while you’re on vacay, but just one more…
Just searched craigslist and found a close book club! Emailed the lady and we’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion!
Trish´s last [type] ..Sunday Salon 31- 2010 Looking Backward and Forward