Conglomera-Bookstore

Conglomerates in print media are especially are especially an issue with book stores. Stores range from the small, independent, local store to the national chains. Waldenbook is an example of medium sized nationally ranged bookstores. Medium sized stores like those tend to be located in malls. Larger stores tend to stand alone; this may include Barnes and Noble, Schuler’s, and Borders. The stores excel by selling large numbers of books and magazines, offering knick-knacks and coffee and having available reading areas for costumers. “By 2008, however, there was a crisis in bookstore budgets that led even superstores, like Borders, to consider closing some locations” (79). I know that Waldenbooks closed some locations around my area.

I think there is a benefit to conglomerate bookstores. Customers are able to find new releases at a faster pace. One of the negatives of large bookstores, however, is the loss of older material. Generally you cannot find something published in the 1940s on book shelves in stores like Barnes and Noble. I think if you were able to merge the pros with the cons, you would be more likely to have an extremely popular bookstore.