Entries tagged with “online bookstore” from Tools of Change for Publishing

BN.com Redesign Nets Significant Traffic Increase

Mac Slocum
June 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Listen

Barnes and Noble is seeing positive results from its 2007 Web site overhaul. From Publishers Weekly:

... in 2007, the online arm of the retailer posted a 10.1% sales increase, helped by a strong fourth quarter, and the solid results continued into the first period of 2008: B&N.com posted a 7.2% sales increase, compared to an increase of 1.1% for the stores.

BN.com CEO Marie Toulantis says shopping and community improvements, such as the "see inside" preview tool and new groups/clubs, aim to increase visitor engagement. Those improvements are working: PW says visits to BN.com jumped from 70 million in 2006 to 138 million in 2007.

Related Stories:

• BN.com Selling Digital Magazine Subscriptions and Back Issues
• B&N Considering Borders Acquisition
• Borders Goes Solo on New Web Site
• Amazon Growth Fuels Online's Book Market Share

Borders Stores Turn Back on Long Tail

Mac Slocum
March 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Listen

Borders is counting on a simple turn of the wrist to boost profits and reduce in-store inventory. According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the retailer is displaying three times as many books "face out."

Shelf Awareness notes:

" ... The new approach has led to sales increases 'in the double digits' and has led to the removal of 5%-10% of the average store's titles -- many of which sell only one copy a year in each store."

Borders' move could introduce a unique opportunity for retailers with offline and online storefronts: eschew the long tail in brick and mortar outlets and embrace the long tail on the Web.

Enterprising book marketers could also take a note from the seamless integration we're all experiencing on the Web: just as Web apps unite the desktop with the server-side, a retail store could merge with the retailer's online presence through in-store kiosks (perhaps with a Cover Flow layout to continue the "face out" concept) and print-on-demand equipment.

For these offline-online companies, the long tail doesn't need to be an either/or proposition.