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I’m an avid reader.
I can recall frequent day trips to Borders on weekends, where I’d curl up in a chair and immerse myself in a bound yet diametrically unlimited world of prose.
Borders maintained a diverse selection for all groups of people. They had subsections for Atheist, Buddhist, Hindu, transgendered, gay and lesbian patrons — you name it, they had it.
Unfortunately, while brick-and-mortar bookstores such as Barnes and Noble began to boost their online sales and trim their in-store media collections, Borders failed to adapt to the changing world of technology and instead increased their in-store merchandise and building renovations, all while outsourcing their online sales to Amazon.
This business blunder ultimately resulted in the liquidation of the beloved Borders chain.
Books-A-Million — perhaps more accurately dubbed Bibles-A-Billion — the Alabama-based book retailer, jumped at the chance to acquire former Borders locations. In fall 2011, they opened up shop at the former Borders storefront in Bangor.
Eager to relive my Borders days, I made the trip — a trip I will never make again.
Nearly a quarter of the entire store was reserved for religious books — Bibles, Christian fiction, Christian living, Christian children’s books. The beat goes on.
Craving the literature section, I was guided by an affable employee who boasted the store’s extensive literary merit. I managed a smile and a breath of relief, until I realized their literature section proved to be more of a marketing haven for cheesy romance novels and overpraised mystery thrillers rather than Sinclair or Proust.
I then inquired as to where I could find the gay and lesbian section, to which my guide replied, “Oh, we don’t have one.”
In-store gay and lesbian erotica? Forget it. Better just improvise or make the drive to Barnes and Noble in Augusta. It may be worth it.
In-store gay and lesbian magazines? “No, sorry.”
Furthermore, out of 50 book categories on their online website, there are no African American, gay and lesbian nor women’s studies categories.
In attempts to find books on gay relationships — any book, really — I thought maybe if I clicked the “family and relationships” category, there would of course exist a subcategory for gay and lesbian relationships. Of course, right? Wrong.
There was, however, a small subcategory of “alternative families,” many of which consisted of books for single mothers, unmarried parents and polygamists.
I then brought to the attention of Terrance Finley, the chief merchandising officer at Books-A-Million, that the closest thing I could find to a gay and lesbian relationship category was the “adolescent sexuality” subcategory, one of the first books listed being “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality.”
Mr. Finley declined to comment, but the subcategory “adolescent sexuality” present at the end of December no longer exists on the website.
Contrastingly, Barnes and Noble has 23 subcategories under their gay and lesbian book section.
Primarily located in the Southeast, it’s logical that in 2011, 17 percent of Books-A-Million’s sales in the first quarter were from religious books, in comparison to Barnes and Noble at 10 percent and Borders at approximately 7 percent, according to Publishers Weekly.
However, the bookstore opted for the expansion to the Northeast, which requires a significant shift in marketing and products due to the change in customer demographics.
When customers have to embark on a quest in order to locate their category of literature, it’s not good for business.
We’re a culture of immediate gratification; technology has effectively curbed our patience, and if the sale is not made easy for the customer, then forget about it.
After a few clicks of the mouse and no results, I’m out of there, because I know Amazon or Barnes and Noble will have exactly what I’m looking for, categorized and accessible to perfection.
As far as Dorothy is concerned, we’re not in Alabama anymore. This is the Northeast, and regional changes denote a marked shift in demographics.
It’s time to diversify. Whether Southern corporate executives at Books-A-Million like it or not, gays live here; we are literate, and many of us actually enjoy reading books of the non-heterosexual nature.
Considering the dismal performance of BAM’s stock and the unfortunate reality of brick-and-mortar book stores being on their way out, a look into targeted marketing may go a long way. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
Erin McCann is a fourth-year biology student. Her columns will typically appear every Sunday.
