Sam Goody is going out of business

[Robin3]

The parent company for Sam Goody stores, a major provider of anime goods, is bankrupt, and several of its stores are closing. The Media play chain has already closed, and now Sam Goody Music stores and Suncoast video stores (both owned by the sam goody company) are closing as well.

You know what? I'm glad. The Sam Goody philosophy was that "customers are there to steal". From the moment you stepped into one of those stores until the minute you left their assumption was you were up to no good, and they did everything in their power to let their customers know. Ironically, they think they failed because they were outcompeted by internet music swapping, but they didn't realize it was their lousy customer service training. Since they couldn't find enough people stealing their stores, despite the heavy security, cameras, hologram labels, hard-to-open plastic wrap, and detector things at the door entrances, they had to blame the internet. Right.

True story: I was in a sam goody music store, and some people came in after me, so the manager went to the back door and told whoever was in the back to come out because he "needed another set of eyes". I heard this.

True story: I was in a SG store, just walking up and down the aisle, not touching anything, and an aggressive salesperson said the usual hello (=we're watching you) thing. I looked at him and did a head nod but he forcefully DEMANDED that I verbally acknowledge his presence. He could have been physically harmed, considering the way I was around then.

True story: I go into a suncoast store and observed a ballet of sorts of store personnel trying to figure out how to watch customers without seeing too obivious. the football chart below kind of shows it.
o .......o
------ -------
x ..........x
------- -------
o

lines are shelves, x's are customers, and o's are store employees. The top right employee was relatively stationary, but doing secondary-accosts. The first accost is when you enter the the story and the top left employee asks you if you want stupid sales material.
the lower left employee was moving up and down, but he didn't really get good coverage of the left customer because all the attention was on the rear (right) customer, since the assumption was that a rear customer was going to steal.

True story: two teenage kids go into a suncoast before me, and start playing around in the store, and the two store personnel ignore them. I walk in after them, and immediately get accosted.

True story: I manage to get into the suncoast without being accosted, pull out a video look at the back, then get accosted, while other customer is ignored. (same store as previous one)

True story: I go into a sam goody, decide not to buy anything, then get accosted by a girl saying, "You're didn't get anything, can I help you?"
I gave her an earful, because I don't have to justify not buying anything.

True stories: Suncoast mastered the annoying marketing sales pitch when you walk in the door, not just saying hello, but asking if you wanted all sorts of crap you'd end up throwing away anyway, since they never discounted their anime titles.

True story: so frustrated by Media Play's sell-through attempt when you're at the register to get you to buy extra stuff, I told the cashier once, "before you ring me up, don't ask me for any extra stuff. I only want this merchandise." Girl answers, "So you don't want to get a so-and-so?"
In the scene that ensued, I think I got her fired. I sure as hell hope so.

Besides that the Media Play stores were never clean.

In the end, I found a pattern that worked: I'd go into a Sam-goody owned store to see the selection of items, then I'd go to an anime specialty store or order online. SG never got my money, and thankfully, they never got enough of anyone elses.

I kind of feel sorry for the retail workers who have to find new jobs, but if you're an executive for the chain, I have no sympathy.

I hope you learn how to treat people someday you <fill in the blank>

Ah, that feels better. I did tone down the language before posting, but it's more than SG deserves.

[Buzz Dixon]

Not being as cheap as CostCo, Frye's, BestBuy, or Amazon didn't help 'em, either.

[Tadhg]

Not being as cheap as CostCo, Frye's, BestBuy, or Amazon didn't help 'em, either.

There were DVDs at the Sam Goody here that were over MSRP. When MSRP on DVDs is stupidly high as it is, there was no way I was going to buy something that was over that.

[Sandoz]

Not being as cheap as CostCo, Frye's, BestBuy, or Amazon didn't help 'em, either.
The only downside is that Best Buy and Costco don't have the wide selection of anime titles that Suncoast did. Even if they were overpriced, there was something nice about being able to walk in a store and having a lot to choose from; these days, I almost always get my anime and manga online.

[Deathstroke]

I only occasionally shopped at Sam Goody's when I was in the one mall in my area that had the shop. Never really bought too much there though.

Suncoast was good when I first started going there, but as time passed, there was nothing really setting it apart from any other place that sold movies. And they were expensive.

[Chiasm]

I think what killed Sam Goody and Suncoast was that you could walk across the street to the Walmart / Target / K-Mart / or whatever and buy most of the same things for $10.00 less. Last time I went in a Sam Goody they wanted $23.00 or thereabouts for CD's that cost $14.00 anywhere else.

[apple pro]

i agree. sam goody IMO was more expensive than others.

their "model" for their stores was not as good as other stores IMO. a virgin megastore is expensive too but they have bargain bins as well as hard to get items. also the store itself are always fabulous and an experience to walk around.

best buys and etc seem to have "good" prices as well as a decent design for the dept itself.

sam goody felt from my experience to be ghetto bins with a small/average selection. the environment overall was not as good as others. amazon.com IMO is probably the best music buying experience i've ever had because of the research/prices and customer service.

[Cephus]

The biggest problem I always had with Suncoast is that not only are they more expensive, but they get things so late! I mean, you can go to Walmart and get a DVD on the day it's released and most things at Suncoast come out weeks later, by which time most people already have them. Every time I go into Suncoast, their "Coming soon" list is of things that most stores are putting on Clearance already.

[Chevan]

I can't say I'm sad to see it go. I've never been attacked by sales people coming in the door, but I have been hit while browsing. Their selection and pricing's pretty bad.

BestBuy's got a somewhat limited variety, but I love their prices to death.

[heystacy]

MediaPlay did have a lot of good anime and Manga titles. I always looked for sales. During December the MediaPlay 2 mins from my appartment closed. I was like there goes my easy 2 get 2 store. :(

[Bryan Rios]

I have never had a problem with any employee of Suncoast or Sam Goody. In fact, all of the employees have been very helpful and friendly in the past several years I've been visiting both stores. Never did a whole lot of shopping at Sam Goody because of the terribly high prices, though.

The biggest problem I always had with Suncoast is that not only are they more expensive, but they get things so late! I mean, you can go to Walmart and get a DVD on the day it's released and most things at Suncoast come out weeks later, by which time most people already have them.
Wal-Mart only gets what is popular though. This gives them a pretty limited selection on DVD's. I was pretty disappointed with the selection they had the past couple times I visited the store. Not to mention my local Suncoast has hardly ever been late with a release.

I am sad that atleast Suncoast will be closing. It is one of the only two stores I buy movies and anime from anymore.

[Endless]

Former Media Play employee who lost his job here. Never clean? It's only the customers who made it dirty in the first place. I bet that girl never got fired, because we HAD to at least ask people if they have a replay card or wanted Entertainment weekly if they used a credit card. Give a person a break man.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the Musicland Corporation for a lot of reasons, but don't blame the employees. Home office screwed us over in the end. We had no security. The cameras were never watched, and there were blind spots. The cases that surround the cds and dvds could be easily opened. That's why we had to not trust customers. Do you know how often I found things stolen? All the freakin time. Things should've been handled a lot differently.

[yeoman]

I only occasionally shopped at Sam Goody's when I was in the one mall in my area that had the shop. Never really bought too much there though.

Suncoast was good when I first started going there, but as time passed, there was nothing really setting it apart from any other place that sold movies. And they were expensive.

Yeah, ten years ago these chains were great for getting anime. They had a fantastic selection that nothing outside a specialty store could match. And if you lived in an area without a sepcialty store... And this was when there wasn't much on the internet at the time, and what there was was small.

[Deathstroke]

Former Media Play employee who lost his job here. Never clean? It's only the customers who made it dirty in the first place. I bet that girl never got fired, because we HAD to at least ask people if they have a replay card or wanted Entertainment weekly if they used a credit card. Give a person a break man.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the Musicland Corporation for a lot of reasons, but don't blame the employees. Home office screwed us over in the end. We had no security. The cameras were never watched, and there were blind spots. The cases that surround the cds and dvds could be easily opened. That's why we had to not trust customers. Do you know how often I found things stolen? All the freakin time. Things should've been handled a lot differently.

To be fair to Endless, I never had any problems with the people working in the stores that I went to.

[Pinball]

I didn't have any problems either.

Anyway, here's an insider's view of how it all went down. (http://www.animejump.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1171) The good part is about halfway down.

And here's part 2. (http://www.animejump.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1193)

[Tami]

According to their web site, they are not going out of business,
just reorganizing under chapter 11 bankruptcy. http://www.musicland.com/reorganization.asp

As a Replay member, I found it interesting that I was still receiving promotional materials from Suncoast thru the mail, as if it's just business as usual.

I used to buy most of my Anime from Suncoast, though I don't do it as much anymore. I liked the Suncoast stores at first, though not so much now.

It used to be that their store was one of the few places that I could go to, to buy Anime. That was one of the big draws for me. Now I do most of my shopping online.

I found their website to be very annoying. It was nearly impossible to browse through their titles. By comparasion, the Barnes and Noble web site has a very good browse and search interface. Also, the prices at Suncoast were usually way higher than that of other sources. Without the Replay discount, I probably would not have even shopped there.

[Sabrinaset]

I didn't even know Sam Goody was still around! There aren't any where I live.

Suncoast...there is one by the mall, and it was THE place to buy DVD's here, before Best Buy came around (I live in the middle of nowhere, BTW.) Never had a problem with the employees here, they've been very helpful to me, and even dollied out a DVD case to my car for me. But yeah, they are very expensive. Mostly, when I go there, it's for the merchandise and not the DVD's. Best Buy has more than they do, and cheaper...and what Best Buy doesn't have, the Barnes and Nobles does. For some unexplained reason, they have all the hard-to-find titles...but they are as expensive as Suncoast.

[Cephus]

Wal-Mart only gets what is popular though. This gives them a pretty limited selection on DVD's. I was pretty disappointed with the selection they had the past couple times I visited the store. Not to mention my local Suncoast has hardly ever been late with a release.

If Walmart doesn't have it, then Best Buy, or any number of other places will. I was just saying that there's no excuse to charge the prices they charge at Suncoast.

As for late releases, the reason I realized that Suncoast got things very late was that I pre-ordered something from them once and I got it 2 weeks after every other store on the planet had it, and they refused to give me my money back so I could just go buy it somewhere else. That was the last time I ever pre-ordered anything from them.

[Ayo]

I never ever bought a movie from Suncoast.

I rarely ever bougth music from Sam.

Never got accosted...mostly, they don't bother anyone.

I never liked those stores regardless because they charge outrageous prices for regular stuff...still have the nerve to have a poor selection. I buy most of my music used and new, from indie record shops. God bless the City.

[LordEd1976]

I won't shed a tear if all the Sam Goody's around me went under. However, I would shed a tear if the one Suncoast within striking distance of me went under. That place had a great selection plus the people who work there were actually helpful and didnt talk to you like you had bubonic plague and ran a risk of infecting the store.

i don't know what it is but I've had my fair share of acostings at Sam Goody stores. If I walk in wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I get clerks shadowing me with either their eyes or following with their bodies. If I'm walking in after work still wearing work clothes, I get chased by clerks wearing desperation masks as they try their hardest to get me to buy SOMETHING. If I leave empty-handed (which is often) I get a stare as if to say "How dare you not plunk down $22 for a copy of Batman Begins that you can get at Best Buy for $20."

The lack of good customer service plus Buzz's comments on the price are whats killing them.

[Kirayoshi]

We have just the one Suncoast in Spokane, and four Hastings outlets. Hastings has a fairly decent selection(although they could use more anime), plus good prices, and also great selections of audio cds and books, plus a fair(not spectacular) selection of PC programs and video games. Plus they special order, which is always nice, and the customer service is helpful and friendly.

So if Suncoast does go under, while it would be sad, I do have options.

[Wild Card]

Most Mall stores tend to be overprice. I think it's more of the sign of the changing economy. I remeber back in the day only places to buy LDs were Suncost, Camallot (now FYE), Saturdaynite Matinee (now part of FYE), and maybe some of the lager Record Bars (no longer in buisness). Those where also the only places you could of bought Anime back then.
I don't buy that much stuff online becuse of my State's User Tax Law and buying Anime at Walmart is alot like buying comics at Walden Books (if you want kidie stuff fine but otherwise if want the more mature stuff you're sol) Best Buy only keeps thier titles in stock for a very short time.
So the best places for me to get anime is Suncoast and FYE and all the good FYEs are in cities that at least twice as far as Suncoast is from me. And Suncoast is the only place that I can find Anime soundtracks.

[Robin3]

Never clean? It's only the customers who made it dirty in the first place.

I guess that restaurants shouldn't bus the tables, since the patrons dirty them when they eat. LOL, that kind of attitude is why I'm not sorry to see them go.
----

I believe that the Best Buy chain (part of the same family) will remain open. They seem a little better run, although a few years ago I hated BB. They cleaned up their act for the most part; just don't go on a Saturday morning. People tend to lose their sense of grace when a BILLION people are running through, and that seems to be a human thing.

BB pretty much has the exact same selection as a Suncoast, so you can try them if Suncoast was the only DVD specialist in your area. If you're old enough to use a credit card, I'd recommend amazon.com or barnes&noble.com for general anime purchases. If you need hentai or used, there are better sites for that kind of sale, but I won't get into that here.

[Sabrinaset]

I'll tell you what I miss: Tower Records. There aren't any here in Palmdale/Lancaster anymore, went outta business up here. They had EVERYTHING there, and were better priced than Suncoast. I was surprised when I found out they were still in business.

[Robotech Master]

RE: I guess that restaurants shouldn't bus the tables, since the patrons dirty them when they eat. LOL, that kind of attitude is why I'm not sorry to see them go.

Far as I know, they are not going. They're re-organizing under chapter 11 bankruptcy, which does not = closing. Furthermore, Media Play's closing doesn't necessarily have to lead to Sam Goody and Suncoast closing because the company that owns them all is actually another company (Sun something...I forget). They are the same company that owns Anchor Blue and Mervyns.

[Robin3]

Far as I know, they are not going. They're re-organizing under chapter 11 bankruptcy, which does not = closing. Furthermore, Media Play's closing doesn't necessarily have to lead to Sam Goody and Suncoast closing because the company that owns them all is actually another company (Sun something...I forget). They are the same company that owns Anchor Blue and Mervyns.

Re-organizing does not mean closing, but it just so happens that the Suncoast and Sam Good chains are closing with this reorg. I was trying to say that in the prior post. They'll keep their Best Buy line open as far as I know, but they've dropped 3 of their chains (Media Play, Suncoast, Sam Goody) in the process.

[Spastic Minnow]

I'm pretty sure they (Goody, Suncoast) are all closing. I was in L.A. last week and went to Universal City Studios Citywalk, a large outdoor shopping center/mall outside the park, and there was a huge Sam Goody/ Suncoast store there and they too were having a going out of business sale. I figure that store had to be the largest store of the chain that I've seen and had just about the best location of any I've seen but even it was closing.

[Valmore]

I never really bought anything at Sam Goody after The Wall put up a store in the mall - prices were about the same, but you got that little sticker that let you replace your CD or cassette if it was damaged. Of course, I don't think The Wall is even in business anymore, especially since I stopped shopping there around the time I started getting CDs at Best Buy. Though my wife did buy a DVD at SunCoast last year - it was the only place where she could find that old movie "Ladyhawk." It was $15. Not bad for a video she couldn't find elsewhere, though I can't recall if she checked online.

Times have changed, really - the Mall isn't the place where everyone shops anymore, unless you're going to JC Penny or another huge retailer. Of course, one of the malls in Tallahassee has its movie theater. But most inner mall stores are fairly outdated in that you can get that stuff elsewhere or online for cheaper.

[Wild Card]

Re-organizing does not mean closing, but it just so happens that the Suncoast and Sam Good chains are closing with this reorg. I was trying to say that in the prior post. They'll keep their Best Buy line open as far as I know, but they've dropped 3 of their chains (Media Play, Suncoast, Sam Goody) in the process.
You know that Best Buy sold Musicland to Sun Capital Partners, Inc. back in 2003.

[Sean Walsh]

If there's a worse store than Sam Goody/Suncoast.......it's FYE.

Here's hoping they join Sam/Suncoast in Hell soon as well.

[Deathstroke]

If there's a worse store than Sam Goody/Suncoast.......it's FYE.

Here's hoping they join Sam/Suncoast in Hell soon as well.

FYE took over the Record Town in the mall I go to, and I have to admit that it is pretty bad.

[Siegzon]

I'm with others who say Suncoast was THE place to shop anime back in the day when most stuff was VHS Ranma1/2. They were priced terribly and the BestBuy in our area has a pretty aggresive anime selection--Avenger, AMG, almost as many titles as the Suncoast.

I just started ordering online recently when I couldn't find Planetes 5. I think I may be doing most of my buying online, whicgh is a shame cause I work with computers and really don't like spending too much time on line. :o :D

[The Xenos]

Went by the local one in a city outisde Boston today and it was already gone.

[Pikachu]

My Sam Goody horror story. I tried to by Macross Plus and Ninja Scroll a few year back when they were only on VHS. Sam Good wouldn't take my check because they thought I was lingering instead of shopping. As I finished writing the check the store manager came out to explain that they couldn't accept my check --without giving me any reason as to their abrupt descision or actions. So I said to hell with them and walked across the mall to a store called Hastings. Hastings gave me a 30% discount off of the same products. So in the end, Sam Goody's going out of business is their own fault. I mean, isn't the concept of sales actually to sell product? Not promote rival stores and chase you out of the store because they don't like you?

Goodbye, and good riddence I say. :evilangry

Pika!

[The Xenos]

Of course the hilarious or sad thing is that I heard Best Buy had bought Suncoast and then sold it. I blieve I heard it from a friend who worked for Best Buy, though now he's at a Suncoast.

Basically Best Buy or their parent company bought or had Suncoast. They see how Suncoast has cornered the anime market and saw how all the fans were going there. Then, and I remember seeing this first hand, Best Buy suddenly stocking anime. The anime at Best Buy was selling it dirt cheap for a number of months. Tons of anime fans jumped ship to Best Buy, including myself occasionally. Then Best Buy or their parent compnay sold Suncoast who had lost many customers and as Best Buy was selling their main attraction of anime for much cheaper. I've noticed slowly since then Best Buy has been raising their prices on anime.

I talked this over with my comic shop guy today. he talked about how he is stuck with a number of anime DVDs and VHS on his shelf. He was just getting into it, not knowing much about it, just as Best Buy was getting into it. Of course a small one man store cannot compete with a giant wholesale like store like Best Buy. It was cheaper for him to buy anime from Best Buy than get it from his distributor.

Today and yesterday I bought two DVDs from Best Buy. One was $30 (Genshiken vol 2) and one was $40 (the Hare + Guu DVD 1 w/ box and chest hair). Now I could have bought Genshiken for $27 on Amazon. I could have bought the Guu DVD for like $5 cheaper from the Anime Nation company website. I didn't bother to check Best Buy. Yet I chose to support the smaller chain. For a few dolalrs here and there's we're giving into bigger and bigger companies. Once all the small companies are wiped out, what's to stop the big ones from bleeding up dry? Sure Best Buy is cheap now, but what happens when their competition is gone?

[Valmore]

Once all the small companies are wiped out, what's to stop the big ones from bleeding up dry? Sure Best Buy is cheap now, but what happens when their competition is gone?

Eventually, another source starts selling the same thing at a better price - be it another big store or a small store start-up. Or an internet store.

There will always be some sort of competition - K-Mart is still around despite Wal*Mart putting many other retailers out of business. Sears still manages to sell a lot of tools despite the rise of Home Depot and Lowes. Even Best Buy has to deal with Circuit City. Even with the success of online book retailers, you can still walk into a Borders or Barnes and Noble (who supplement their walk-in business with internet sales) and Waldenbooks is still in the mall.

Does it kind of suck for the little guy? Yeah. Your local comics dealer may have a harder time moving his anime DVDs because of competition from Best Buy. However, there's always the off-chance a person might come in for his or her comics and see the DVD they want and buy it anyway.

[The Xenos]

Even with the success of online book retailers, you can still walk into a Borders or Barnes and Noble (who supplement their walk-in business with internet sales) and Waldenbooks is still in the mall.

Does it kind of suck for the little guy? Yeah. Your local comics dealer may have a harder time moving his anime DVDs because of competition from Best Buy. However, there's always the off-chance a person might come in for his or her comics and see the DVD they want and buy it anyway.

Notice how for books stores you said Borders or Barnes and Noble? They're giant chains. Boookstores in this country are dying. The only ones alive are gaint chain stores. That seriously worries me. The freedom and power of indipendant bookstores I think is something critical and we're losing it each day.

Even University Bookstores are all becoming Barnes and Nobles or joining a chain. I know mine is as are most I notice in the Boston area.

Of course comic book stores are next. Then again they and the comics they sell being terroized by the monopoly of distribution that is Diamond and the games they play.

The various books markets are becoming dominated by giant companies and being sold out to whatever wholesaler can sell popular books the cheapest. So much for giving smaller buisinesses a chance and the idea of anti-trust legislation to help regulate the economy to keep it healthy and fair to the consumer.

It really is getting to be a sad world for people who love books. Thank God for libraries. (Though even there we got the government nosing in with the Patriot act. Ugh.)

[Sean Walsh]

I would've opposed the "bookstores are dying" position (with no facts to back me up of course :p ) but I realized your point was quite valid when I was reminded that Borders owned Waldenbooks a few weeks ago...............when my last local Waldenbooks was rebranded "Borders Express." :-/

[The Herald of Torrent]

While we're [somewhat] on the topic of comics, several of my local CB stores stopped seeling Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog comics, things that are as vital to me as oxygen.

[Melchior]

Borders and Waldenbooks have been owned by the same company for 10-odd years now. Just for your information.

[monkeyaxslash]

does any one know some other good stors to buy anime from

[Valmore]

Notice how for books stores you said Borders or Barnes and Noble? They're giant chains. Boookstores in this country are dying. The only ones alive are gaint chain stores. That seriously worries me. The freedom and power of indipendant bookstores I think is something critical and we're losing it each day.

Even University Bookstores are all becoming Barnes and Nobles or joining a chain. I know mine is as are most I notice in the Boston area.

Of course comic book stores are next. Then again they and the comics they sell being terroized by the monopoly of distribution that is Diamond and the games they play.

The various books markets are becoming dominated by giant companies and being sold out to whatever wholesaler can sell popular books the cheapest. So much for giving smaller buisinesses a chance and the idea of anti-trust legislation to help regulate the economy to keep it healthy and fair to the consumer.

It really is getting to be a sad world for people who love books. Thank God for libraries. (Though even there we got the government nosing in with the Patriot act. Ugh.)

Anti-trust regulations don't apply since Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders all compete with each other. If a little guy bookstore is such an important entity, then why can't they find a way to compete? The bottom line is that consumers drive the maket, not bibliophiles. And the consumer is much more interested in getting a good deal on a book then in paying more to keep a small store intact.

Hell, I wish my college had used a Barnes and Noble or a retailer for textbook sales - campus bookstore prices are a complete ripoff, which is what created the online sales market for texts in the first place. Had textbook publishers as well as university bigwigs not been such greedy schmucks, they'd have found a way to compete. Why would a student want to pay his or her college bookstore $100 for a textbook when they can get it for $65 at Barnes and Noble or online? That's not a bad thing at all. The way I see it, colleges in your area are trying to adapt to the changing market - one that doesn't feel powerless at buying a textbook at a forced price by a university.

[BeastieRunner]

I wouldn't be too bummed because (if you have one near you) Hastings has a very good selection of anime and their manga section is growing. Prices though . . . not too bad but not very good either.

[The Xenos]

Hell, I wish my college had used a Barnes and Noble or a retailer for textbook sales - campus bookstore prices are a complete ripoff, which is what created the online sales market for texts in the first place. Had textbook publishers as well as university bigwigs not been such greedy schmucks, they'd have found a way to compete. Why would a student want to pay his or her college bookstore $100 for a textbook when they can get it for $65 at Barnes and Noble or online? That's not a bad thing at all. The way I see it, colleges in your area are trying to adapt to the changing market - one that doesn't feel powerless at buying a textbook at a forced price by a university.

My school bookstore is a Barnes and Noble and the textbooks are still a giant ripoff. The whole used and buyback program is a ripoff still. I must admit I went to Amazon which was a little cheaper and they actually had used ones in stock.

[Pikachu]

Hastings tends to have the best foriegn film selections also. Not only that, their anime selection is huge. The Hastings in my area is equivlent to Amazon.com prices... so I haven't ordered online for a long while.

Pika! ;)

[Valmore]

My school bookstore is a Barnes and Noble and the textbooks are still a giant ripoff. The whole used and buyback program is a ripoff still. I must admit I went to Amazon which was a little cheaper and they actually had used ones in stock.

See? That's where capitalism works - the school textbook program has been a joke for years now. When internet technology came along, enterprising individuals came up with a way to challenge the system by offering texts online, including used texts, at better prices. I'm sorry that the Barnes and Noble thing is just becoming an extension of the campus bookstore in your area - that would really be a way they could boost sales. Most college kids are on a budget and want to get their texts at as low a price as possible. But - you found a solution by going to Amazon. That's where the system works.

I don't think this will be the complete death of small book sellers - after all, someone has to sell rare books that retailers don't tend to get. They're just not going to have a large market for recent titles, unless they can find a way to compete. And the right individuals will find a way.

Take Tallahassee, for example. We have three comic book shops in town, and it's not like comics are a huge market. Each diversifies to draw in different crowds to supplement sales. One store has a thriving anime DVD rental, as well as those Clicky tournaments. Another store is the authority on Magic: the Gathering. The last store sells used books (though he keeps terrible business hours).

Small bookstores could find a way to diversify their line to attract business.

[Pinball]

Hey, it looks like they're not all closing after all. not right now, at least.

Here's a list of those that are. (http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060201006073&newsLang=en)

I like my Suncoast. :)

[Spastic Minnow]

According to that list both of the Sam Goodys in my area are closing but not(?) the Suncoasts. But the one I've been to has the "Going out of business" sale going on in both sections (they're connected).

[Domo Goddess]

I guess the Suncoast in my area is still open.
I might check it out this weekend.

[The Xenos]

The Suncoast in Boston/Cambridge is closing. The one near my hometown on the North Shore of Massachusettes isn't, but the Sam Goody is already closed.

[Domo Goddess]

The Suncoast at the mall I go to is still around.
I didn't see any going out of business signs.

[Kirayoshi]

I went to my local Suncoast and asked if they were going out of business. They said no.

[Kain]

Finacially Sam goody's biggest problem, was simply the matter of spreading their selves to thin. Inventory on the shelves that doesn't move is money that not only doesn't get made but it's money that's already spent. The company's overhead was staggering and when you carry everything under the sun it's inevedable that something is not going to sell.

[xakko]

I worked at Media play from 1995-1999, first as a cashier, then in the shipping/receiving department. The store underwent a major change for the worse after being acquired by Best Buy. When I worked there, we were well known for having the widest selection (or, at least, comparable to Borders and Barnes & Noble) at the lowest prices. Best Buy changed that approach, adding more and more product to the pulldown lists, counting on special ordering to satisy the customer's more esoteric needs. But with the increase in digital music and online shopping, people were much less inclined to special order something and have to go to the store and pick it up, when they could have it shipped directly to their house from amazon.com...

I remember finding a CD of songs by Orson Welles once. I purchased it and ended up mailing it to Maurice LaMarche...

[Accacia]

people were always nice to me at sam goodys..besides being hit on once or twice by gross looking goth boys :evilangry

that is the only place nearby i can get my anime and manga from though.

[Spastic Minnow]

Here's a question. For those of us that have already had their Goodys and Suncoasts closed. Did you notice how drastic their markdowns eventually got?

My local one has gotten down to 40% off everything (some lower) and are even to the point of selling thier shelves but they're still not saying when their actual closing date will be, so I guess they'll still be around and maybe offering further discounts for a little while longer.