The Shroud Underground

Adam, I am not sure what's going on. I have emailed one of BN's senior VP of Stores about this and he seems to be genuinely concerned.

How difficult is it for people to just look on their shelves? Argghhh

I have access to the system that the stores/distributor uses to determine how many are on a particular shelf at a particular store, so let me know if there are any more discrepancies.

Thanks guys!

Let me tell you from experience; trying to run the magazine section of a bookstore is really something else.

From 1995 to 1998 I worked at B. Dalton, which is, or was, Barnes & Noble's smaller, mall-based subsidiary (which seems to have since vanished from the face of the Earth).

Back then, "magazine" was practically a collective noun. There was no such thing as an individual magazine title; "magazines" were an undifferentiated substance you received a certain amount of; gallon of milk, cord of firewood, thirty pounds of magazines. Nothing was entered in the system--there was no system--and when someone purchased one, we put in the price and hit the "magazine" button.

The guy in charge of the magazine section was a whiz, and he could usually tell you if we carried a certain title, or even when the next issue might come in, but his answers were based purely on intuition. Neither he nor the store manager had any input into which titles we carried, and neither of them could tell me for certain who did decide that; the district manager? The corporation? Ingram itself? No one knew.

That's why I was displeased, though not surprised, to learn of the troubles people were having with store personnel. During my tenure, the standard response to a magazine question was "I don't know," but that was because we really didn't know. Now they apparently do have a system in place, and it's just that no one knows how to use it. Progress?

Somewhere in each of those stores, there's a single employee whose encyclopedic knowledge of the magazine section borders on geekdom, but you'll get to talk to him about as often as a two-headed calf is born. The rest of the time, it'll just be "I don't know" or "We don't have it," so they can get back to their discussion of the subtler subtexts of "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here."

I started calling B&Ns in the Northeast by going top to bottom on the list. Wanted to check in with the first six I called. I’ll continue later, I have to get lunch now.

New York- Union Sq. 17th st.- Have it in stock! An encouraging start.

Paramus NJ Rt 17- Rude Lady, told me no after a few seconds, said she checked in a book, I insisted she check the computer. When she actually checked she said that she did not “have it on the shelf yet,” but at least it showed up on the computer.

Camp hill PA- Said she had it after typing it in, I insisted she check the shelf. After looking for quite awhile she couldn’t find it. This woman was quite nice and sounded sad she couldn’t help.

Framingham MA- I had a big long conversation with the guy about it. He did not think they carried it, I politely insisted he check. I was vindicated: they have 2 copies!

Carle Place NY- Have it! The bookseller was concerned that the issue was labeled the May/June issue. She said “We still have the May/ June Issue.”

Burlington MA- The nicest Bookseller yet. It showed up in the computer that they had it, she went to look, had other people look with her, and sounded generally concerned that she could not find it. She told me that the Magazine “master” was in on Mondays and suggested I call back then. I tried to impress upon her that the “May/June” issue was by no means old, she actually listened to the whole spiel and the problems you’ve been having, Tim.

That’s 3 out of 6, not terrible, but not great. The first missing two sounded like they would be receiving it.

This is a monumental task. HAHA Go team!

Fantastic insight. Thanks for sharing this with us.

dwarzel wrote:Let me tell you from experience; trying to run the magazine section of a bookstore is really something else.

From 1995 to 1998 I worked at B. Dalton, which is, or was, Barnes & Noble's smaller, mall-based subsidiary (which seems to have since vanished from the face of the Earth).

Back then, "magazine" was practically a collective noun. There was no such thing as an individual magazine title; "magazines" were an undifferentiated substance you received a certain amount of; gallon of milk, cord of firewood, thirty pounds of magazines. Nothing was entered in the system--there was no system--and when someone purchased one, we put in the price and hit the "magazine" button.

The guy in charge of the magazine section was a whiz, and he could usually tell you if we carried a certain title, or even when the next issue might come in, but his answers were based purely on intuition. Neither he nor the store manager had any input into which titles we carried, and neither of them could tell me for certain who did decide that; the district manager? The corporation? Ingram itself? No one knew.

That's why I was displeased, though not surprised, to learn of the troubles people were having with store personnel. During my tenure, the standard response to a magazine question was "I don't know," but that was because we really didn't know. Now they apparently do have a system in place, and it's just that no one knows how to use it. Progress?

Somewhere in each of those stores, there's a single employee whose encyclopedic knowledge of the magazine section borders on geekdom, but you'll get to talk to him about as often as a two-headed calf is born. The rest of the time, it'll just be "I don't know" or "We don't have it," so they can get back to their discussion of the subtler subtexts of "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here."

Adam,

Thanks man! I really appreciate the effort. That is some outstanding effort. I just do not understand why the mag would not be on the shelves! This is crazy!

Thanks again. You went above and beyond.

Tim

By the way. i have been sharing all of your wonderful efforts and the info you share with me with:

Mark Bottini
V.P. and Director of Stores
Barnes & Noble, Inc.

http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_co ... ttini.html

He has, in fact, responded twice. so fingers crossed.

THANK YOU ALL!

Camp hill PA has like TEN COPIES in stock. I really hope they are on the shelf!

Here's a follow-up on the stores in the SE Wisconsin area:

B & N in Greenfield, WI : Yes they do carry it, but none found on the shelves. (That the employee or I could find..)

B & N in Mayfair Mall- Wauwatosa, WI: Yes they carry it, yes it's on the shelves!

B & N in Brookfield, WI (Brookfield Mall): Yes they carry it, yes it's on the shelves!

B & N in Glendale, WI (Bayshore Mall): Yes they carry it, employee couldn't find it on the shelves...

B & N in Deerfield, IL. (Deerfield Square): Employee states none found, but only asks other employee..? (I was on the phone with him.) So, that's questionable...

I'll call more B & N's in the next few days and keep 'yall posted!

It's on the shelves in Long Beach, Califonia.

Sounds like you had the same kind of experience I had Ginger, I would say it's highly probable some of the stores with people who said they could not find it actually have it right under their noses...at least that is the more hopeful outlook.

Who am I kidding? I'm both an optimist and a terrible misanthrope, so those guys are jerks and Shroud is safely on their shelves.

I've been delinquent in my calling but I'll get to more of the list soon.

Thanks for the encouraging words Tim.

Thanks Ginger! Excellent Sheldon! Thanks Adam. This is awesome.

Any more pics?? Can you guys post any shelf pics to facebook?

That's what I'm thinking as well, Adam.

No problem, Tim!

About getting new photos: Apparently if my cell phone's battery life has one bar left, it decides that taking photos is unimportant and disables that feature. Nice.

Needless to say, no new Shroud magazine pics.

After weeks of bothering the staff at store #2188 Altamonte Springs FL 32701 451 Altamonte Springs, I called them yesterday and according to them, the four issues they had all sold out. Which is a good thing! But alas, no copy for me to pick up. = ( I asked if they expected to get more issues in stock, they said no. = ( I asked if they intended on ordering more, and they said it was up to the publisher to send more. This store in particular I started a campaign, along with help from friends (there is only so many impersonations I can do with my voice) to call and ask over, and over, and over... "When will it be back in stock?" This store seems to know the magazine well, without me telling them what it is about.

After calling store #2998 Orlando FL 32828 481 N Alafaya Trail I was told they had four copies in stock. So, like a mad man on crack I raced to pick up my copy. They had four in stock. I asked the nice lady at the check out counter if they would be getting more copies, she said she did not know. Although, she was more insightful than the Altamonte store by saying if they sell out, they may. I hope I eduacted this store enough on Shroud Magazine. LOL...

Store #2796 St. Augustine FL 32086 1930 US 1 South seemd daft. I asked if they had any copies, and they said it was in their system, but the customer service rep could not find it on store shelves. = (

My campaign has only just begun! <-Evil laugh ensues Mr. Burns style. ; )

Excellent Ben, thanks. If the store needs more copies they can simply ask their distributor who will then call me.

I still do not understand why a store would have the mag in their system and NOT have the magazine on shelves...

It may be worth asking the people to look in the stock room. I know that when I worked at B&N the computer would show a book being in stock even if it was still in the back room waiting to be shelved (or on the shelves of books being return to the publisher)

Magazines usually were shelved on the day they came in, but it was not uncommon for some to be in the backroom for a few days days.