It may help for the indie to own the real estate/space it occupies and not lease it. Although this can get expensive in today's market. But if the indie has to have a lease maybe (in today's market)it's best to be somewhere off a less traveled path. If it's a good book store I'll go. It does not always have to be in a major shopping center or the downtown area.

Diane C. is absolutely right. With the margin on books so low, owning the space is the way to go. We've also done cooperative deals with investors. They put up the capital, we run the store for a fee. Getting co-op from publishers is also huge.

Honestly, I don't think there is anything Olsson's can do to stay open in the long term. I used to browse at the Olsson's in MetroCenter before they went out of business, but I rarely bought. Why? Because when you're trying to make your rent each month, it's hard to justify spending an extra 3 or 4 dollars on a book when I could just order it from Amazon.

Olsson's had an intelligent selection of interesting books, but I just couldn't afford to pay list price. I did go there to get ideas for books to read though.

It's sad, but I don't think any independent chain will be able to stay afloat with Amazon, B&N, and Borders eating up most of the customers. Small bookshops with no overhead and few employees will be the only ones to survive in my opinion.

If it's any consolation to the previous posting, one of the Big 3 abovementioned is in serious financial hot water, and has decided to try to hold on by running off all their experienced full-time booksellers in favor of whatever casual counter-proppers they can scrape up from local gas stations and 7-11s; wait 6 months-they'll be a lot more customers to fight over by this time next year...

I don't work at a bookstore, but I can tell you that independent bookstore revitalization has just begun. I’m of Gen Y, freshly graduated from college and every one I knew at college doesn’t want to shop at some impersonal big box store or soulless online store. They want to shop at local stores that are cool, different, exciting and they want their money to go into support of the local community, not some distant billionaire, and if they have to pay more, well so be it and all the better, the shopkeeper and booksellers have more money and the local community is more vibrant. Buying from whomever has the lowest price doesn’t cut it with my Gen, what about the local community, the environment, a life affirming place for your soul? Amazon may be a good place for your pocketbook, but the local bookstore is a place for the community, a help for the environment, and a vital part of happiness for your soul, which is all a lot more important than saving $5 online minus shipping charges.

Inside View is partially right. Borders is trying to run off the majority of our more experienced sellers off if favor of young, part-time, and often practically illiterate new hires. But even if Borders does continue to financially tank, that won't make it much easier for the indies. Borders will just get bought off in pieces by other larger chains like B&N and BAM.

On the flip side, I'd much rather risk my employment with an indie than the current Borders.

Speaking of illiterate...

**Borders is trying to run-off the majority of our more experienced sellers in favor of young, part-time, and often practically illiterate new hires.

Sorry!

I agree with the young student - people need to know they are alive, thinking individuals: independent bookshops are one of the best places for this to be proved- I run one in Paris - buying a shop location is completely out of the question - booksellers run bookstores out of a crazy optimism and love for books - there is no profit in bookselling and thus no money to buy the shop walls. Keep up the great support all of you above!

Thanks for all of these great comments. I think it may be true that there's no profit in bookselling -- so what should booksellers and bookbuyers do???

I am a bit more of a music lover than a book lover, and have experienced this transition with music stores. I used to live and die by my local record stores, their well-informed staff, unique selection, and hang out for friends. While I still buy tons of new music, much of it on vinyl still, those local record shops have faded almost out of existence entirely. As much as I loved the local shop, I have found online retailers that have similiar ethos, amazing selection, and great prices. Sure, something is lost. But then, whenever I do end up in local record stores today, most of their patrons are 35 years old or older. Even though I can justify why local record shops should exist, in most cases, the culture has shifted, as have the economics. Bookstores seems to be following a similar trajectory. As for your question Bethanne... what can booksellers and bookbuyers do? How about enjoy books, and find new ways to connect with their fellow readers? Its all about the book... the thoughts they spark, and the amazing community of people who read and write them. Thanks!

Sad to see another indie falling apart. When the Baltimore Sun's book blog (www.baltimoresun.com/readstreet) asked readers for their favorite bookstores while vacationing, Olsson's was high on the list. Generally folks valued the thoughtfulness of indie staffers, the sometimes quirky surroundings and the serendipity of finding a little-known book. We created a U.S. map with more than 120 favorite stores; it can be found on the Read Street blog. (Sorry, but this site doesn't allow the direct link.)

A good strategy is to place the bookstore inside a museum or other non-profit that generates traffic flow. I have had stores at Chicago Children's Museum, Eric Carle Museum Of Picture Book Art, and Bowery Poetry Club.

Y, believe it or not, you've expressed the feelings of a large majority of college graduates of ANY generation, not just Generation Y. I'm from Generation X and I can tell you, we felt exactly the same way. But it's hard to shop at independent stores when there aren't any! If what you say is true, I hope your generation is prepared to open a lot of these stores and do what it takes to keep them afloat.

More independents need cafes--its sad, but I think people want an "experience" as much as they want to be surrounded by books.

Also, indies need to do a better job of selling their editorial focus. I always wondered why local bookshops never offered a "book diagnosis" stand, where you get authors recommended to you. I think a lot of people don't even realize that indies offer something special in that way.