The digital onslaught of e-books and Amazon-style e-tailers has put bookstores in an existential predicament. Digital books are expected to outsell print titles by 2015 in Britain, and even sooner in America. (NA, 2013)
Foyles's bookshop has been suffering as a result of digital products such as iPad and kindles. For a bookstore to remain successful, it must improve “the experience of buying books,” says Alex Lifschutz. (NA, 2013) The way in which bookshops can react to this is by changing the layout in the bookshops make it more welcoming to the customer, most bookshops are not and instead need modernisation. Foyles needs to implement cafes in its bookstores it appears it’s rather behind Waterstones for example. It has put forward new ideas in order for it keep up with the other bookshops as its chairmen Christopher Foyle saw that it was falling behind the rest. In 2010 he introduced Foyles website, which now accounts for 10% of sales, and has begun to open new branches, something Foyles had not done for half a century. (Bentham, 2010) This is an example of how a bookshop has had to react to the digital influence; I believe that to survive in this modern era one has to adapt to its competition!
In 2010 the future of the traditional bookshop was not looking too bright as they faced stiff competition from ebook readers such as the Kindle and tablets such as the iPad. However they did react and profits have looked a lot better in recent years, although it is really tough as no one can predict the sudden change. (Bentham, 2010) The rise of Amazon and other online sellers has also contributed to the closure of high street chain Borders and depressed sales elsewhere amongst bookshops such as Foyles, this just shows how hard it is when competing against the giant which is Amazon who have the means to attract customers through the web.
Foyles however have introduced Foyles Book Search will allow customers with a smartphone to browse stock availability and to locate books within the new four-storey bookshop using an map. (Foyles, 2014) Foyles Book Search is the UK’s first in-store digital search facility with mapping. Fast and accurate, it is capable of instantly searching and checking availability from the range of 200,000 titles that the store typically has in stock, as well as DVDs, CDs, sheet music and gifts. The map can be embellished with illustrations and images to draw attention to newly launched titles, making it an effective marketing and communication tool for special promotions and events. (Foyles, 2014)
This wonderful idea from Foyles typically shows there able to fight back against digital and come up with a plan get digital users to use there software which in turn will hopefully make them buy there books instead of going to Amazon or Waterstones etc.
Word Count: 476
Bibliography
Bentham, M. (2010). Foyles bounces back into profit in the age of ebooks and iPads. [online] The Evening Standard. Available at: http://www.standard.co.uk/business/foyles-bounces-back-into-profit-in-the-age-of-ebooks-and-ipads-7302842.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].
Foyles and White October to launch UK’s first ‘bricks and mortar book search’ for mobile. (2014). [online] Available at: http://blog.whiteoctober.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Foyles-Book-Search-release.pdf [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].
The Economist, (2014). A real cliffhanger. [online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/02/future-bookstore [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].
Foyles's bookshop has been suffering as a result of digital products such as iPad and kindles. For a bookstore to remain successful, it must improve “the experience of buying books,” says Alex Lifschutz. (NA, 2013) The way in which bookshops can react to this is by changing the layout in the bookshops make it more welcoming to the customer, most bookshops are not and instead need modernisation. Foyles needs to implement cafes in its bookstores it appears it’s rather behind Waterstones for example. It has put forward new ideas in order for it keep up with the other bookshops as its chairmen Christopher Foyle saw that it was falling behind the rest. In 2010 he introduced Foyles website, which now accounts for 10% of sales, and has begun to open new branches, something Foyles had not done for half a century. (Bentham, 2010) This is an example of how a bookshop has had to react to the digital influence; I believe that to survive in this modern era one has to adapt to its competition!
In 2010 the future of the traditional bookshop was not looking too bright as they faced stiff competition from ebook readers such as the Kindle and tablets such as the iPad. However they did react and profits have looked a lot better in recent years, although it is really tough as no one can predict the sudden change. (Bentham, 2010) The rise of Amazon and other online sellers has also contributed to the closure of high street chain Borders and depressed sales elsewhere amongst bookshops such as Foyles, this just shows how hard it is when competing against the giant which is Amazon who have the means to attract customers through the web.
Foyles however have introduced Foyles Book Search will allow customers with a smartphone to browse stock availability and to locate books within the new four-storey bookshop using an map. (Foyles, 2014) Foyles Book Search is the UK’s first in-store digital search facility with mapping. Fast and accurate, it is capable of instantly searching and checking availability from the range of 200,000 titles that the store typically has in stock, as well as DVDs, CDs, sheet music and gifts. The map can be embellished with illustrations and images to draw attention to newly launched titles, making it an effective marketing and communication tool for special promotions and events. (Foyles, 2014)
This wonderful idea from Foyles typically shows there able to fight back against digital and come up with a plan get digital users to use there software which in turn will hopefully make them buy there books instead of going to Amazon or Waterstones etc.
Word Count: 476
Bibliography
Bentham, M. (2010). Foyles bounces back into profit in the age of ebooks and iPads. [online] The Evening Standard. Available at: http://www.standard.co.uk/business/foyles-bounces-back-into-profit-in-the-age-of-ebooks-and-ipads-7302842.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].
Foyles and White October to launch UK’s first ‘bricks and mortar book search’ for mobile. (2014). [online] Available at: http://blog.whiteoctober.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Foyles-Book-Search-release.pdf [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].
The Economist, (2014). A real cliffhanger. [online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/02/future-bookstore [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014].