Barnes and Noble in Hoboken is closing. I am sure many in town are not surprised. After all, the high cost of Hoboken commercial real estate, extremely deep discounts offered by competitors on books, and the recent popularity of electronic books- all created the perfect storm- large enough to blow the bookstore giant from our landscape.
And (with my condolences to its workers) I say good riddance!
Barnes and Noble is the perfect example of what is wrong with large corporate America taking advantage of our little city. Big box retailers are happy to come to town when times are good and their incredibly bottom-line driven procedures provide retail services as long as they stay far enough in the black. However, as soon as times get tough, they pull up the tent and skip town. And why shouldn’t they? They have no ties to our city. The executives that made the decision to close Barnes and Noble don’t live in Hoboken. They never will. Nor will they care about its residence or the town’s long-term economic stability.
I am always frustrated when I hear fellow Hobokenites wish for big box retailers like Gap or Banana Republic to come to town. They are too short-sighted to realize they too will stay only if times are good, put out businesses that otherwise would have grown, and leave town as soon as they enter the red.
I am not saying that any bookstore could’ve survived in this economic landscape. I also know many people liked shopping at Barnes and Noble. But I hope Barnes and Noble's closure reminds us how important it is to support those shops who have shop owners who live among us. Put simply, shop at stores who care about Hoboken.
I should also add that this should be a lesson to Hoboken’s commercial real estate landlords hoping to cash in on big box retailer profits. If a retail giant like Barnes and Noble can go out of business and that doesn’t scare you back down to earth – and get you to appreciate a reasonable monthy rent and long term lease- nothing will. Your property too can sit empty for years- like the space that occupied Ted and Joes restaurant. What a shame.
Bottom line- buy local- and now buy books at Symposia. You’ll be glad you did.
P.S. For more stories on the local economy, you might want to check out my friend’s blog.
And (with my condolences to its workers) I say good riddance!
Barnes and Noble is the perfect example of what is wrong with large corporate America taking advantage of our little city. Big box retailers are happy to come to town when times are good and their incredibly bottom-line driven procedures provide retail services as long as they stay far enough in the black. However, as soon as times get tough, they pull up the tent and skip town. And why shouldn’t they? They have no ties to our city. The executives that made the decision to close Barnes and Noble don’t live in Hoboken. They never will. Nor will they care about its residence or the town’s long-term economic stability.
I am always frustrated when I hear fellow Hobokenites wish for big box retailers like Gap or Banana Republic to come to town. They are too short-sighted to realize they too will stay only if times are good, put out businesses that otherwise would have grown, and leave town as soon as they enter the red.
I am not saying that any bookstore could’ve survived in this economic landscape. I also know many people liked shopping at Barnes and Noble. But I hope Barnes and Noble's closure reminds us how important it is to support those shops who have shop owners who live among us. Put simply, shop at stores who care about Hoboken.
I should also add that this should be a lesson to Hoboken’s commercial real estate landlords hoping to cash in on big box retailer profits. If a retail giant like Barnes and Noble can go out of business and that doesn’t scare you back down to earth – and get you to appreciate a reasonable monthy rent and long term lease- nothing will. Your property too can sit empty for years- like the space that occupied Ted and Joes restaurant. What a shame.
Bottom line- buy local- and now buy books at Symposia. You’ll be glad you did.
P.S. For more stories on the local economy, you might want to check out my friend’s blog.
Thanks for the referral. Sad to see B&N leave as I'm a big fan of books, that being said I was also sad to see them arrive, so I guess there is no pleasing me!
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