Tuesday, May 9th 2006
Cody’s Closes, Life goes on
From the Chronicle:
Cody’s Books, the venerable independent bookstore that has served generations of UC Berkeley students, has announced that it will close its flagship store on the south side of campus because of declining sales and competition from chain stores and the Internet.
The store, on Telegraph Avenue, will close its doors on July 10 after 43 years…
Ross said the store had been losing money for 15 years and that pressure from chain stores and the Internet had contributed to an “economic concentration in bookselling” that was forcing out independent stores like Cody’s.
I personally have never been to the place. Never had a reason to. Amazon and other online booksellers take care of most of my needs (immense selection, reviews, new & used books easily available). Barnes & Noble and other chains are there if I just can’t wait for shipping or if I have money to burn. Can’t see where an independent bookseller like Cody’s would be needed.
I’m sure some people will miss them though. However, let’s not forget how arrogant and elitist some people can be. Take, for instance, this Daily Cal article from 2000:
The Berkeley City Council’s passage this week of a measure calling for Internet sales taxation has sparked debate among city officials and local residents.
“All I want is for the actual stores to be on a level playing field with the Internet companies,” [then mayor Shirley Dean] said. “Cody’s bookstore offers book sales through the Internet, but they cannot compete with the bigger companies because these companies undersell them. There is no reason why Cody’s has to pay sales tax and Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com does not.”
According to Dean, Moe’s Bookstore, Cody’s Books and Amoeba Music, all of which are located in Worthington’s district, have spoken out against the tax exemption enjoyed by Internet companies.
“The Wall Street-driven propaganda in favor of the Internet has resulted in numerous unfair advantages over main street retailers in the U.S.,” said Marc Weinstein, the owner of Amoeba Music. “All of (these) will serve to rip the heart and soul out of many American communities - including Berkeley. As far as we’re concerned, the tax-exempt status that Internet companies enjoy is a complete hoax promoted by computer industry lobbyists in Washington.”
And suddenly sympathy diminishes. Someone tell that guy to quit being a douchebag. The world’s changing, community is constantly being redefined, and you can’t stop progress. These guys need to get their desperate paws off of our online shopping. Speaking of which, I’ll need to check out Amazon for some of the books you guys recommended earlier. Doesn’t get any better than that.
Wow, there better be a huge sale on books cause they got all kinds of obscure books that Barnes and Noble doesn’t have in store.
Comment by Yuriy Pasko — 5/10/2006 @ 12:20 am
its liquidation time, that means get your Tijuana Bargaining Banter on.
Comment by what — 5/10/2006 @ 1:25 am
Wow, I just finished doing a paper on chain bookstores and independent booksellers. Talk about eerily prescient.
Comment by Jim Fung — 5/10/2006 @ 4:56 am
It probably didn’t help that every staff person at Cody’s treated customers with disdain. Better selection at Amazon without the attitude. Cody’s was just another case study in: “Berkeley’s great except for the people.”
Comment by EmeryBoB — 5/10/2006 @ 8:50 am
look at this
! what a bunch of dumbasses, hahaha
what is up with this obsession with bashing chain stores? they actually sell things most regular people want? (thus are able to become chains)
Comment by HB — 5/10/2006 @ 11:34 am
Fremont is a quick BART ride away if you want a town that looks like every other town in this god forsaken country. I for one prefer a Berkeley that is uniquely Berkeley, and as such, I will miss Cody’s.
Comment by Donald — 5/10/2006 @ 11:46 am
No worries. We still have weapons-free space over our heads.
Comment by Beetle — 5/10/2006 @ 12:22 pm
Cody’s is an excellent bookstore - the selection and service make it well worth the extra 50 cents for a book. Try asking someone at Barnes & Noble what their favorite Thomas Pynchon novel is, and they are likely to direct you to the romance section. Also, Cody’s had an amazing series of author signings that I went to about once a month - many authors choose to do their live appearances at indy bookstores such as Cody’s, so there are a lot of events there that simply can’t be replicated at online booksellers. I am sorry to see them go.
Comment by John W. — 5/10/2006 @ 12:58 pm
Look, the people who say this process can’t be stopped are right. The price competition ensures that chain stores and online stores will drive local stores out of business, unless the community is willing to pay a premium and shop at the local store.
But the question isn’t whether this fact is true; it obviously is.
The question is whether this process is indeed progress…
Progress towards what?
Cheaper goods: yes
More homoegeneity: certainly
Better world: not necessarily
Whoever said “progress can’t be stopped”, therefore implying that this phenomenon is progress, obviously values cheaper goods over heterogeneity/idiosyncracy/diversity.
That’s a value judgment.
Personally, I have different values. But that could just be my reaction against the homogeneity of my hometown, Orange County…
Comment by Scott — 5/10/2006 @ 1:28 pm
Of all the local bookstores I liked Cody’s the least. I went in there a few times but never bought a book. However, I have gone to Shakespeare Books (Dwight and Telegraph), Moe’s, and Half Price (on Shattuck) and bought more then I can remember.
Maybe if a Wal-Mart like store replaced it Rexall’s Drugstore would stop charging outrageous prices.
Comment by Chris Page — 5/10/2006 @ 2:11 pm
It would be awesome if they built a Target in there with a Taco Bell inside….but I don’t think the store space is large enough.
In any case, Berkeley is very homogenious, in fact, because everyhting sucks around here. You’d have to go to Emeryville in order to have some real choice and selection.
Comment by HB — 5/10/2006 @ 2:40 pm
Chris is right, halfprice books is an awesome new store. I always go there to browse and buy most random books. In that I dont want to bash Cody’s, it was a great store. I bought a book or two there. They have great selection of magazines. But if it can’t make ends meet has to close there is nothing unfair about it. Lets not blame the internet or other retailers who are simply better.
Comment by Yuriy Pasko — 5/10/2006 @ 2:42 pm
Lets blame it on taxes.
I been an advocate the right-wing general policy (Some cases they’re needed) of lower taxes my whole life, but if societies or lets say our state continues to raise taxes on every little thing - penny-picki’ our pockets, it only drives consumers to cheaper outlets in general. This is because they (us, you , we) have less money in the pockets to spend, and therefore less choices. Well this is just a theory.
For some I understand this is a hard concept to grasp.
Comment by what — 5/10/2006 @ 3:17 pm
John: Independents might have a more diverse selection than chains, but I don’t see how any real bookstore can match Amazon and the like. Even small press authors would find it more advantegous to offer e-books or print on demand rather than selling solely in independent stores. You just can’t beat the web for niche items.
I don’t really get the “service” argument. Some people might like to get personally assistance and advice from the store staff. I personally find Amazon much more handy. Instead of one opinion on a book, you can find thousands. You can also get recommendations via reading lists that people create, or automated ones generated by algorithms analyzing shopping patterns. Even when I do browse in regular bookstores, I find myself wishing I had access to the net to look up reviews on a certain book. Or if you want really good advice, there are probably a bunch of online communities dedicated to, say, Thomas Pynchon, where you can ask questions and what not.
Events are something else though. However, I imagine they could be held elsewhere such as the university, a library, or a community center.
Comment by patr — 5/10/2006 @ 5:11 pm
Scott: I think that the progress we are making is real and beneficial. We do get cheaper goods (new and used); that’s a fact. I think you’re wrong about the homogeneity. In chain stores, maybe. Overall, far from it. On the internet you can find products that you would have never thought existed. Dig a little deeper, and you can find that every niche represented. Whereas a bookstore may only have a market to carry one book from a particular niche, you can find dozens online along with lively communities. Check out this article explaining the concept from Wired: The Long Tail.
This, in turn, creates a better world as people get to enjoy the things that really interest them. No longer are you limited by the selection at your local store, or the advice that the people are you share. Now, the whole world is open to you can you can connect with people who share your interest, no matter how niche it may be.
I’m from Orange County too. I personally haven’t found a place that beats it yet =)
Comment by patr — 5/10/2006 @ 5:19 pm
you’re some strange people.
Comment by Clay Banes — 5/10/2006 @ 6:17 pm
I generally agree with Pat’s 2 previous comments. My biggest problem with three-dimensional bookstores is that they just can’t match the selection of the internet, even independents like Cody’s.
I frequently buy books online, and I am more than willing to pay a few more bucks to order through the publisher’s website than from amazon. I actually try to do that when it’s a small publishing house. But my point is that when I’m looking for a specific book, most of the time the 3D bookstores just don’t have it.
Comment by mj — 5/11/2006 @ 12:03 pm
I’d never go to Cody’s again even if they were staying around. I walked in there for the first time and was treated with unbelieving condescension by all three employees I talked to. At least other stores WANT to do business by having tolerable service.
Comment by funsize — 5/13/2006 @ 9:07 pm
Here’s a good article from Slate about independent bookstores.
Comment by patr — 5/16/2006 @ 12:09 am