Books-a-million vs. Barnes and Noble

[Coyote_Dynamo]

First off sorry if you don't have one of these bookstores in your area/country.

I am constantly in a struggle with these two stores. I love Books-a-Million, but it is farther for me to reach than my local Barnes and Noble. I always choose to drive the extra twenty minutes to go to BAM for several reasons: 1. Their discount section is enormous and consists of every category in the store. 2. The staff is always much friendlier and always willing to help. 3. The atmosphere is much more relaxed and I don't feel like I am being judged by everyone who passes through the aisle I am on.


If you feel the same or even if your opinion differs let me know what you think and share your stories.

[ansem the wise]

well i love barnes and noble but i usually get my books off amazon.

[Ferrin]

i get my books from the library instead £:

[Dread Advocate]

I can't really say much; I've never been to Books-A-Million. But every Barnes & Noble I've been to felt like Borders, but with less judging passerbys and more obnoxious children.

[ebevan91]

I've never been in a Barnes & Noble because the closest one to me is like 30 minutes away and there's a Books-A-Million like 15 minutes away.

But I actually just buy my books online from Amazon or Walmart, depending on which one is cheaper.

[funrush]

i get my books from the library instead £:

Me too. Best discount ever.

[Pomf]

I work in a Barnes & Noble and i'm actually typing this on my tablet during my lunch break. While i'm obviously biased I liked B&W even before I started working there, and I actually looked into getting a job here because I liked the store so much. While the selection isn't great it isn't terrible either and the staff have always been helpful and at least relatively cheerful, even before they hired me . Discounts tend to be sorta meh, mostly just odd books that don't have a real market, but there's usually at least a few books that I take an interest in. We've also got a Starbucks and free Wi-Fi, which is probably more important to me than it is to most people because I work there every day. I just wish we had a bigger manga section, we've currently got all of two shelves and what we do have sucks.

I've never heard of Books a Million, and to my knowledge there aren't any in Las Vegas though I could be wrong there.

[DizzyCobraMew]

I work in a Barnes & Noble and i'm actually typing this on my tablet during my lunch break. While i'm obviously biased I liked B&W even before I started working there, and I actually looked into getting a job here because I liked the store so much. While the selection isn't great it isn't terrible either and the staff have always been helpful and at least relatively cheerful, even before they hired me . Discounts tend to be sorta meh, mostly just odd books that don't have a real market, but there's usually at least a few books that I take an interest in. We've also got a Starbucks and free Wi-Fi, which is probably more important to me than it is to most people because I work there every day. I just wish we had a bigger manga section, we've currently got all of two shelves and what we do have sucks.

I've never heard of Books a Million, and to my knowledge there aren't any in Las Vegas though I could be wrong there.

Every time I've been there the WiFi doesn't work with a DSI XL and I've never heard of that place either

[Pomf]

Every time I've been there the WiFi doesn't work with a DSI XL and I've never heard of that place either

Does the DSI XL work with WPA security? That could have something to do with it. I'm also fairly certain that most Wi-Fi connection games only work with WEP, so that could also be the problem.

[Pesky Persian]

Shouldn't this be in polls?

I never really buy books from chain retailers. In fact, I think the last time I bought a book from one, it was at a Borders going out of business sale (and the sales sucked, to be honest). I generally buy books from Amazon. The physical books are usually a bit cheaper than at retailers and the Kindle books are often a little cheaper than the physical books. Plus, living out in the boonies makes it inconvenient to have to drive to a retail store. The closest one is a half-hour drive away and it's not worth the gas money to go buy a book at the higher retail price when I can pay the same or less and get it delivered or buy the Kindle version and get it instantly.

[Coyote_Dynamo]

I work in a Barnes & Noble and i'm actually typing this on my tablet during my lunch break. While i'm obviously biased I liked B&W even before I started working there, and I actually looked into getting a job here because I liked the store so much. While the selection isn't great it isn't terrible either and the staff have always been helpful and at least relatively cheerful, even before they hired me . Discounts tend to be sorta meh, mostly just odd books that don't have a real market, but there's usually at least a few books that I take an interest in. We've also got a Starbucks and free Wi-Fi, which is probably more important to me than it is to most people because I work there every day. I just wish we had a bigger manga section, we've currently got all of two shelves and what we do have sucks.

I've never heard of Books a Million, and to my knowledge there aren't any in Las Vegas though I could be wrong there.

Yeah BAM is mostly on the East Coast. They tend to have an entire aisle of manga and the discount selection is enormous. They have really great deals like Buy 2 get 3rd free and lots of coupons.

[Will-powered Spriter]

Well, to make this thread a little more friendly to non-american's, Waterstones or ...

Crap I can't think of any other specialist bookstores in the UK. I miss you Borders.

[Chibi_Muffin]

Well, to make this thread a little more friendly to non-american's, Waterstones or ...

Crap I can't think of any other specialist bookstores in the UK. I miss you Borders.

Haha yes. I remember the old Borders here. We used to meet up with a family friend there all the time as it had a Starbucks as well, so we could look at books and have some coffee. There's a Waterstones in our town centre but it always seemed crowded to me. Not with people; the area just seemed small, and the selection doesn't seem that big.

[ansem the wise]

well i just got a kindle fire so...
i loke the kindle but there is something about having a real book that i like.

[zapto369]

I've always found that Barnes and Noble has more intelligent staff (more helpful, knows where things are) and it has a better selection. But maybe that's my experience.

[Klizcool]

What in the world is Books-A-Million? I go to the library anyway. It's free and no one else goes to them. Although I do go to Barnes and Noble from time to time.

[Armando Payne]

I go to Waterstone's/Waterstones and I remember when it was Ottacers/Ottakers(sp) still if I want Manga I go to my Comic Book Store in my City Centre where they sell all Manga for 3 for 2.

[Jacobthepokemonfreak]

Well, to make this thread a little more friendly to non-american's, Waterstones or ...

Crap I can't think of any other specialist bookstores in the UK. I miss you Borders.

there were 2 bookstores in Geelong(Australia) that were competing with each other; 'Angus and robertsons' and 'Dymocks' but now both of them are close down.......no more bookshops in the city centre! dammit!

[britishlanguage]

What's a books-a-million?

[Lucario188]

I like Barns and Noble, but I usually don't shop at bookstores because books are rather expensive. I've actually never heard of Books-A-Million before this thread, but if I ever see one I'll be sure to check it out now. Like Ferrin and funrush, I support the library :-)

[Stereotypical Nerd]

Personally, Books-A-Million

[Auaria~]

I tend to get my books off Amazon, but I do look though Books-a-Million at the mall whenever I go.

[TheEliteEmpoleon]

I like Barnes and Noble better, mostly because I've never heard of the other one, and because I recently saw Rick Riordan at one at an event for his new book.