Bye-Bye Buck-A-Book?
Buck-A-Book in Davis Square is closing. The Hanover Street store closed last December, and the Government Center and Arlington Center stores are also closing (if they haven't already closed).
I asked the clerk if the whole chain is going away, and the answer he gave boiled down to "not yet". He said that the chain had fallen behind in payments to suppliers, which resulted in suppliers refusing to send more stock, which resulted in less and lower quality stock, which resulted in fewer customers and less spending .... you get the picture. Sounds to me like a death spiral, and I don't see how they can recover from it.
Their web site is also gone. I wrote to the webmaster to ask what happened to it, and his reply was that the customer had asked that it be taken down. So I can't even tell you which stores are still open.
Ad:
Comments
Buck A Book Andover
Is also going out of business. My husband bought me courtney love's biography as a joke. I do believe they are all going out of business. Death Spiral indeed.
That's really too bad. Sorry to hear that.
I believe the Buck-a-Book in Govt. Center's also going out of business. In fact, I saw a sign to that affect when I walked by there the other afternoon. it's really too bad that Buck-a-Book is going under.
Bye Bye Buck-a-Book !
Good riddance. I've never seen such a collection of junk outside a low-rent flea market: Lousy books no one wanted (hint: that's why they were a dollar); crappy gift wrap; bottom-of-the-barrel CDs, toys, and trinkets.
I'm amazed the stores stayed open as long as they did.
I have to agree
I have to agree on the poor quality. Just because it's a dollar doesn't mean people will buy it.
===========================
From the brains behind http://www.bigdumptruck.com
[duplicate comment removed]
[duplicate comment removed]
Used to be worthwhile
I remember the stores being considerably better, in both quality and quantity, when they first opened. I'd go into them and actually find things I wanted to read. Not anymore.
They also used to have much more emphasis on books and less on non-book dreck.
Publishers Weekly article
From Publishers Weekly, March 28: Icy Patch for Buck-A-Book As Stores Close
Franklin Street store still open
The Franklin Street store, in downtown Boston near Filene's, appears to still be open as usual. They even had a sign in the window about gift certificates. (A very bad idea!)