Went to a bookstore today

[proud2BlibKansan]

Saw an interesting display.



Check out which book is 40% off.





Now why would they put these books together in one display?

[Muttocracy]

1. I've been known to rearrange merchandise in bookstores... nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. LOL me too

This display was right next to the cashier so I couldn't really help move books around. In fact, I waited for the clerk to walk away before I took the pictures. But I did browse the political non-fiction aisle and did some re-arranging. :)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. Re-arranging merchandise is not cool

It just creates more work and hassle for underpaid retail employees who probably agree with you, anyway.

[OnyxCollie]

27. True.

Went I worked at Borders, right wingers would turn face outs to show the back covers, and then we would have to flip them all back again.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

43. Yeah, it's annoying no matter what side the person doing it is on

[Kokonoe]

28. My wife always says it gives the employees job security. nt

:shrug:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

42. Nope, not in the slightest

Sales are what give people job security, if that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. What makes you think they agree with me?

Are retail workers more likely to be liberals? :shrug:

This is Kansas. Pretty safe to assume a lot of people here would NOT agree with me politically.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

44. People who work at bookstores tend to be into reading

Usually, it seems like people who read a lot lean liberal.

In any case, the workers do not decide what goes on the displays, and how would you feel it if someone went around turning out and hiding liberal books? It makes work for the employees and pisses off customers. BTW, did you know that people can get FIRED for corporate coming in and seeing the display not up to corporate's display diorama? If you have a problem with displays, call corporate, and don't take it out on underpaid retail employees.

[Blue Dog Dominion]

37. Me too. For some reason Dallas Cowboys merchandise ends up facing the wrong way. n/t

[razors edge]

2. Sometimes you have to

catapult the propaganda.

Or so I have heard.

[patrice]

3. Where's her buddies who buy up thousands of copies in order to artificially inflate the mkt?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Hasn't her book only been on the market for a few weeks?

Seemed awfully early to already be 40% off.

[patrice]

22. Yeah, it does seem quick. That much longer to make 60% of nothin' which is still nothin'. Ha! Ha!

[CatholicEdHead]

31. It is quickly on its way to be a freebee when you subscribe to Newsmax

World Nut Daily or similar rags.

[stevedeshazer]

4. I think we both know the answer to that

Thanks for the pics. That's illustrative of what to expect going forward.

[lunatica]

5. The general manager is probably 22 and is working his way up the corporate ladder

He puts all books about Obama together. But he really thinks Ann Coulter is hot and he wants to help her sales so he puts her book there because that's the place most of the books are selling.

Merchandising 101 for Dummies is his bedtime reading, because he doesn't have time to actually read.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. I don't know.

Most big corporate bookstores have a specific layout for their stores, designated areas for certain books.

[lunatica]

13. I was being fatecious. I should have added the sarcasm smilie

If it's her latest book it's all about the sins of the Obama Presidential campaign so, since the area for Obama is much better populated than, say, the Ann Coulter area, or the GOP or the Limbaugh area, then they put it with the Obama books.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. Oh, sorry. n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. Actually, corporate decides what goes where, not store management

But, please go right ahead and bash retail workers.

:puke:

[OnyxCollie]

29. There's always an endcap or two that allows for self expression.

I used to do it.

And I would try to piss people off.

[LostinVA]

53. I guarantee the GM is neither 22 nor making up his own BAM plannograms

And, that company is notorious for NOT hiring store employees into Corporate jobs.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. It's 40% off, most likely,

because it's a best-seller. That's how Borders does it, anyway.

And all those display decisions come down from Headquarters. The distributors and the corporate suits decide which books go where. Not the manager, not the clerks - the suits.

[lunatica]

16. See reply #13

Levity, laced with light sarcasm doesn't always come across very well in writing.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. No, it sure doesn't

Hence, the sarcasm (or is it irony?) emoticon: :sarcasm:

[Dr.Phool]

24. I recognize the tags. It's Books-A-Million.

And they've ALWAYS got the right-wing propaganda right out front, to hit you as soon as you walk in the door.

If you want to find a progressive best seller, you've got to dig.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Don't know much about Books A Million

We only have the one store here that I know of. I wonder who owns them?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

32. I, too, have never been in one.........

and, having read about them here, it's doubtful I ever will.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. I stopped at a Books A Million in Waco, TX

It was maybe 30 miles from Crawford. I bought a wonderful little Smush Bush doll there. So I figured it can't be too bad if they sell merchandise that disrespects Bush so close to his home. :shrug:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

35. OK, that's good

If I ever find myself near one, I'm gonna check it out on the basis of your experience.

:toast:

[madmom]

9. same black dress

[DS1]

10. Didn't that Coulter book just come out?

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I thought so

[asdjrocky]

15. Skanky bitch.... oops, was that out loud?

[backscatter712]

18. Get ye to Amazon and write some one-star reviews for Guilty!!!

There are too many fawning five-star exultations from the Limbaughtomized. It's time for some balance!

http://www.amazon.com/Guilty-Liberal-Victims-Assault-America/dp/030735346X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232941724&sr=8-1

[Tangerine LaBamba]

21. I know what you mean about doing this,

but, as an author who's had crazy people leave horrid remarks about books I've written, books they never read (these were truly psycho family members, alas), I get a strange twinge when I see someone proposing something like this.

There are other ways to combat people like Ann Coulter than doing something that is, let's face it, dishonest. I have no brief, believe me, for Coulter, but leaving scam reviews just smacks of sinking to her level.

Is that what you really want?

(I know, I know, I have a different perspective on this, so take whatever I leave here with a grain of salt.........)

[backscatter712]

23. I read enough of her book to make a review.

Trust me. You're not missing much.

I did indeed flip through it in the bookstore - call it morbid curiosity. I want those wasted minutes of my life back.

[Peace_Sells]

26. 100%

I wouldn't buy her book if it was 100% off!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. My dear Peace_Sells!

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[mmonk]

36. To answer your last question, to give equal weight to lies and truth

is what American "journalists" call balance.

[Liberal_in_LA]

38. a 'yes we can' book out already. wow

[RandomKoolzip]

39. Just as an aside: those 'Twilight" books totally suck.

[Liberal_in_LA]

40. teen girls love 'em

[RandomKoolzip]

41. I'm quite aware of that. They also suck.

They're really really terrible books by almost any sane standard.

[NoPasaran]

45. Ann Coulter Guilty?

I didn't realize her trial had already taken place!

[mainer]

46. Front of store displays are often paid for

It's called co-op, and the publisher puts big bucks into getting prime display space. The individual store manager has little choice in what he's told to display. This, at least, is what happens at Barnes and Noble and Borders. However, I don't know about Books a Million. This looks like the manager's way of attracting interest to the titles as a group.

[LostinVA]

47. Managers at BAM have no say in endcaps and other displays

At least they didn't used to, and I doubt it's any different now. The Plannograms come from Corporate, and, like B&N, Borders, Hastings, etc., are ALL Co-Op, except for local author displays.

[mainer]

49. Thanks for the info on BAM.

I don't live anywhere near a BAM so I wasn't sure.

[LostinVA]

51. I used to

Manage one.

[LostinVA]

48. I REALLY wish people wouldn't "rearrange" books and displays

Not only does it cause extra work for ALWAYS overworked, overpaid bookstore staff and managers, managers -- and other staff -- can actually be FIRED if plannograms aren't adhered to. Corporate comes in and checks stuff out, as do the stupid mystery shoppers, vendor reps, DMs and RMs make unannounced visits, etc. I know a longtime manager for Books-A-Million who was let go because of this very thing.

If the PAID FOR Co-op displays aren't as Corporate says, people get in trouble. Please remember that the next time you think you're being cute changing out Coulter books for Michael Moore. Call up Corporate and complain to the Merchandising Department.

[mainer]

50. Don't forget the authors and friends who rearrange books

I've heard of authors who asked their "secret agents" to move their books to the front. Which is quite a bit more brazen than just turning them face out.

[LostinVA]

52. Oh yes, they do that, too!

My fav: I caught an author moving his books on Angels from the Christian Theology area to (I kid you not) the AUTOBIOGRAPHY sessions --because he said he wrote what they told him to say.

[AlCzervik]

54. 40% off and that book just came out, i'm sure the Conservative book club will come to her rescue.