The Barnes & Noble store opening Tuesday in Folsom is a bookstore like a stealth fighter jet is an airplane.
The retailer’s prototype opening in the Palladio at Broadstone shopping complex also is a full-service restaurant featuring locally sourced beers and wines and a community gathering spot.
It will be the third Barnes & Noble of its kind in the nation. The other two concept stores are just north of Manhattan Island and in Edina, Minn., a suburb southwest of Minneapolis.
Barnes & Noble is rolling out its concept stores at a time when some retail analysts are questioning the future of selling the printed word. In 2008, the New York-based chain planned to open in the upscale Palladio complex, but the plan was put on hold as the recession hit the U.S. retail industry hard.
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It was just five years ago that Borders Group, which once operated hundreds of stores offering books and music, ceased operations.
By some Wall Street estimates, Amazon has cut into Barnes & Noble’s overall market share by more than 25 percent since 2010. Analysts said the availability of bargain-priced books on Amazon and the popularity of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader have deeply impacted B&N revenue. B&N has seen annual sales revenue plunge from $7.13 billion in 2012 to $4.16 billion in the most recent fiscal year.
David Deason, B&N’s vice president of development, said the concept stores are not a response to gloomy retail predictions but “more of a step forward a new transition. Throughout retail, are trying to lift the experience to a new level. We understand that, and we think our customers will appreciate the experience they find here.”
During a media tour of the Folsom store last week, Deason noted that, despite all the bells and whistles of the new store, “books are the star. It’s still a bookstore.” Deason added that Barnes & Noble remains the nation’s largest retail bookseller, overseeing 640 bookstores nationwide.
Customers entering the front doors are greeted with an expansive open-floor space with a sweeping 180-degree view of book displays.
Pointing to the mounted, self-serve “kiosks” with digital display screens and store employees carrying hand-held devices, Deason noted that customers “can buy a book anywhere in the store, including the restaurant.”
The Folsom store also includes specialty sections, including a colorful children’s book area featuring ample seating, books arranged by age groups and toys.
The “Local Interests” display showcases local events and writers.
There’s also a “newsstand” stocked with scores of magazines and other periodicals, plus a section with old-school vinyl records.
Date: December 13, 2016