As Barnes & Noble continues to hang on as the last of the dying breed of bookstores, the retailer’s struggles have forced it to try out a new store concept that would sell alcohol and a wider array of food offerings to its consumers.
The bookstore is opening four concept stores in 2017 that will feature bars offering wine and beer, along with more food in cafés twice the size of its usual food spots, enabling readers to grab dinner and a drink while reading their new book.
The RTP team discusses whether the decision to include food and alcohol sales in select stores is a sound strategy for Barnes & Noble or an act of desperation for the bookstore.
Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: If Barnes & Noble doesn’t do something dramatic, it could definitely go the way of video stores. I think the addition of food and beverages is a good idea. I also think the retailer could get more creative and implement different types of local community events as well as partner with a variety of retail formats to help bring new shoppers into the stores. Maybe bring in an apparel retailer and have a book signing with a well-known author who has written about fashion? Maybe hold a mom-and-tot yoga class and sell related books and merchandise? How about inviting a local preschool and retirement home in to have seniors read to preschoolers? If it tries to remain a traditional book store it’s not going to survive in the long term.
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Adam Blair, Executive Editor: Perhaps by necessity, a book-ophile like me has to love Barnes & Noble — and I do. I mean, I pay a fee to be part of their loyalty program! But I loved Borders too, and look where that got me (and them). So it is with affection that I say yes, this move to selling “better” food, and particularly alcohol, smacks of desperation on B&N’s part. Your mental image of pairing wine with books might be a literary soirée at a college professor’s renovated Victorian home. Very highbrow, very refined. But what happens when alcohol is the fuel for a couple’s screaming fight? What happens if these cafés attract all-day drinkers, in the same way that Starbucks has become the dawn-to-dusk refuge of caffeine addicts in need of strong WiFi? Will B&N employees be able to “86” (restaurant lingo for cutting off a drunk) these people and quietly whisk them away, or at least keep them quiet enough not to disturb those quaint customers who come in simply to buy a book? It’s possible the retailer’s executives have already thought through these issues, or that they will be worked out in the four locations where B&N is trying out this concept. But my feeling is that booze and books don’t mix, at least in public spaces.
Alicia (Fiorletta) Esposito, Content Strategist: I think this move from Barnes & Noble shows that it’s no longer enough to have a diverse assortment of products. (Or in this case, a diverse range of authors and book topics.) Many people — myself included — rely on Amazon to quickly find and purchase books they’re interested in. However, Barnes & Noble will be at an advantage if the retailer offers elements and opportunities that encourage discovery. If stores provide food, beverages and unique events and experiences, people are more likely to visit a store and take their time to browse every inch of a location. Events, book signings and even classes can also drive foot traffic and pique the interest of consumers that may not visit a location otherwise. In short, it isn’t an act of desperation, but it’s a necessity for all businesses if they want to differentiate today and in the future.
David DeZuzio, Managing Editor: Barnes & Noble needs to do whatever it can to stay in business. With Amazon quickly consuming, well, everything, it is necessary to make the B&N brick-and-mortar trip more experiential. The company started offering Starbucks coffee in 1993, so this is more of an expansion of an idea that’s been around for a long time. The trick with offering alcohol is, as Adam mentioned, keeping out those who need to be “86’d”, but that could be as simple as a limit of one or two drinks per customer rule for each location. Ultimately, if they have fine dining and drinks, there are inherent sales opportunities; if customers love the dish they’ve just eaten, why not buy the cookbook with the recipe for it? I really hope this works for Barnes & Noble, as I would hate to see brick-and-mortar bookstores disappear.
Klaudia Tirico, Associate Editor: I truly hope Barnes & Noble’s new experiential store concepts will help get the retailer back on track, but I hate to say that I won’t be holding my breath. While it sounds like a great idea for customers who enjoy a cocktail while reading the latest New York Times bestseller, I don’t think adding “better food” and bars to cafes is enough of a “unique experience” to gain foot traffic anymore. As my colleagues mentioned, hosting community events, book signings and such sound more promising. If the retailer will, in fact, become the localized “community center” that CEO Ron Boire wants it to be, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps even incorporating the new alcohol offerings with wine and book pairing events would do the trick — I know I would be interested in that! Even though it is an act of desperation, I applaud Barnes & Noble for holding its head up high and making an effort to change for the sake of the business.
Glenn Taylor, Associate Editor: It would be nice if Barnes & Noble could bring in success with the new store concepts so that the brand could further expand them to additional stores. The company has undertaken numerous efforts to liven up the stores, changing up some of its offerings to reposition itself as a “lifestyle brand” that included more art supplies and even adult coloring books. Events have already started to become a part of this new positioning, with the “Mini Maker Faire” held in select stores last November, but I don’t know how much these experiences will actually reel in the consumer over the long term. While events in general are a good way to create buzz, public libraries appear to take similar strategies with the help of a public budget. B&N doesn’t quite have this luxury and would still be dedicating a lot of funding to these events. Since it’s the last major bookstore of its kind, B&N still has plenty to offer in an environment that even Amazon can’t provide, and the addition of dinner and wine could at least provide consumers with a greater reason to stop in.
