Ok…those of you who have been following me know that I am a lover of books. Words wonder me and I have experienced many adventures and deep friendships inside the pages of a book.
Now, what you may not know is that I loved books so much (my dream job was to be a published children’s author) that I went to work for Barnes&Noble Books as their Customer Relations Manager for the DC area. I loved that job!
That was about thirteen years ago.
A week or so ago, Khari and I were in Georgetown for a date night and as we were walking towards one of my favorite Barnes & Nobles in the area I stopped short. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Instead of seeing the green sign – I saw Amazon Books. I stood, frozen across the street and I was in shock. I was also confused. Amazon has an actual store…that is selling books…in the same location that Barnes & Nobles used to be…
It was too much.
I didn’t want to go in. I felt like I was betraying a dear friend. But hubby wanted to take a peek inside, so I yielded but vowed I would not like whatever they had going on in there.
And…well the space surely felt different. It was very modern and tech-y (perfect for Khari).
I walked around, silently. Looking with only my eyes at first. The layout was smart – efficient. Khari was drawn to the gadgets that were nicely displaced table-top style so folks could play with them. Me, I was drawn to the book shelves.
I must say I love the way the books were organized. All the books face out to the customer and came with a Customer Review card. I really liked that.
The kid’s section was kind of mixed in with the rest of the store downstairs. It wasn’t separated like Barnes & Noble. And although they have a stage, it is nothing like the decor of Barnes & Nobles. Even now as an adult, I love going into the children’s section with my stack of books and coffee and sit myself in a nook under the magical tree.
It is a new land inside Amazon Books. I guess I helped get them there. I am a prime member and I do most of my book purchases (and everything else purchases) online because, well it is easy.
After I got home I looked up Barnes & Noble closings and was shocked to discover that 197 stores would be closed by 2022. So sad.
If you haven’t been to an Amazon Bookstore yet, I am sure there is one near you. A word of advice – don’t bring cash, they don’t take it, everything is through the app. If you are not a prime member, you will be when you leave.
Well, I guess there is a season for everything, and I guess this is the season of Amazon...for better or for worst.
Until next time,
Stay Encouraged & Be Blessed!
Wow, I’m actually sad to hear this. Can’t we coexist, lol? I’m trying to figure out if this is the same feeling that I had when most of the Little Ceasers in PG county closed their doors.
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I remember the Little Ceasers in PG! My mom was devastated when the one in Rivertown shut down. That was her Friday night dinner plan for years!
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Thanks for the review of the Barnes and Nobles Georgetown location; it was very complete. Based upon your description, I am looking forward to visiting the store and cashless shopping..
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