The
bookstore market is starting to look like the toy store market. Both are dominated by just a handful of big
players while the Indies struggle for survival.
In toys,
it’s Amazon, Toys R’ Us (15%), Target (17%) and Wal-Mart (30%), and Sears/Kmart
(3%). Amazon accounts for about 10% and
then roughly 25% of all toy sales come from 1,500 small toy stores. There used to be 2,500 such stores around the
turn of this century. Fewer vendors,
some of whom are huge, means consumers will see less variety. Though a big box store can carry lots of
toys, it’s only going to carry what sells.
Smaller stores can be creative and push unique, often educational items
not sold elsewhere. The $22 billion toy industry, like books, struggles to find a way to grow.
It’s
also becoming a bit blurred as to what qualifies as a toy. If my kids “play” all day on a mini-iPad or an iPod Touch,
do they count as toys?
Many
bookstores sell toys and many toy stores sell books. Maybe a new brand will evolve, one that sells
educational toys, music, DVD’s, books, magazines, and other forms of
content? Oh, wait, that’s Barnes &
Noble! Why do they struggle so much when
they offer so much?
Are we
in a post content-for-fee era? Is
everything found online for free?
Toys, in
order to avoid such a fate, must remain physical. There needs to be something you hold in your
hand – otherwise everything can be copied and duplicated online.
The book
industry should pay attention to the toy industry and see what it can learn
from a business dependent on people looking to entertain and educate their
children. Books can serve the same
purpose.
BOOK
EXCERPT: The Compass Of Now by DDnard
“About
the time one learns to make the most of life, most of it is gone.
-Anonymous”
“Whatever
you give your attention to is the thing that governs your life.
-Anonymous”
“In
managing or life, the essential rule is to allocate our time and energy first
to that which is most meaningful to us.
Beware of letting ourselves slip, and take up precious space in our
life-basket. The key to this is awareness and a strong sense of life’s purposes
and values. With our mind fixed upon our
life’s purposes, we know what we would do and wouldn’t do, what contributes to
our values, and remain watchful for when we want to deviate or escape to what
is not.
“Following
are personal inner treasures that, once obtained, will result in a wealthy,
healthy, and happy life:
1. " Faith:
Having faith in the causes and effects of all actions. We must persevere in developing our own mind,
and in learning and growing from all experiences.
2. "Perseverance:
Efforts in watching over our mind, thoughts, actions, and words so that they do
not harm ourselves or other, and efforts in lessening the impacts of past
misdeeds and making sure they do not happen again.
3. "Competency:
Dedication to acquiring the knowledge and wisdom of life.
4. "Contribution:
Forgiving, giving, sharing, understanding, mercy, and compassion – a spirit of
goodness that energizes others and attracts more good to come into our lives.
5. "Wisdom:
Understanding the nature of life.
Knowing what to do, how, when, where, and what for. Understanding the
pros and cons of things from the observation of self and others with a tranquil
mind.”
DON’T MISS: ALL NEW RESOURCE OF THE YEAR
2015 Book PR & Marketing Toolkit: All New
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest
book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.