Closed Down Music Stores and Book Stores

I read that B&N plans to close stores in the next few years. I hope they downsize the store area rather than close an entire store. 

It seems they are looking at music stores as the model and getting out before its too late. The common belief is that the Ipod killed music stores. Even other stores like Barnes and Noble that had decent music sections have reduced their stock of music. 

I argue that music stores didn't strategize and save themselves. As a music fan, I want to find a place to discover something new. There are a million great bands out there, but there is no where to talk about them. There is no place for a wise music lover to turn me onto something new. 

Picture this. It’s a party and you need music. If you go to that little store run where a guy that’s in a cover band works, he’ll know what songs will work. He’ll know the romance versus the snooze songs they play on radio. Other music fans will be there flipping through music and commenting on album art. 

Vintage Vinyl is till open in Fords New Jersey. They have bands come in. They have tons of music. The Record Exchange in Princeton is staffed by knowledgable people. 

The point I bring up is that these few places are still running because they realized that its the community that makes the sales. Taylor Swift will sell anywhere, but you need a music lover to tell you about the Kopecky Family Band. 

B&N isn't just books and Nooks. They are also the reading community. Small writers sell books. Reading groups talk about books. I used to attend writers groups at the B&N in West Windsor. I met Nora Roberts at the B&N in Freehold. B&N can stay open and thrive if they embrace the reading community again. 

Somehow in the past few years, they determined that author signings weren’t worth it. They decided that they didn’t want to break a new author. They wanted to sell toys in the open spaces. 

I want some fiction lover to turn me onto some new writer. I want to meet authors. I want a fiction group to explain a book to me. 

Please keep these stores open for the community.