Has Chapters/Indigo Stopped Carrying TrekLit In-Store?

[Avro Arrow]

I know that at the beginning of the year, they didn't have Takedown in any of my local stores. OK, sometimes they have trouble with stocking the new releases around the holiday season. But as far as I know, they *never* ended up getting it. So I ended up buying it online from Amazon. Which I don't like, but for one time, OK, whatever.

After that, things seemed to return to normal, and they stocked the new releases as they came out... until the end of July. None of my local stores stocked Seekers 3: Long Shot. Sure, sometimes things are delayed, and the new books aren't on the shelf by the end of the month. But we're now in early September, and it still hasn't shown up. According to their website, there are some stores that have copies. The closest are: 2 copies in Windsor, and 1 copy in Winnipeg. (For the record, Winnipeg is 1400 km away.)

OK, fine, maybe it's a one-off thing, like Takedown. Maybe the last Seekers novels didn't sell well, or whatever. Flash-forward to the end of August: so far, there is no in-store stock of Atonement. Granted, like I said, sometimes they're late... it's been a couple weeks, but it could theoretically still show up. But with the continuing absence of Long Shot, now I'm wary.

So I was wondering... are any other Canadians having trouble finding TrekLit in-store at Chapters/Indigo? Now that they're really the only chain left, it would be quite unfortunate if they stopped carrying them in their brick and mortar stores altogether.

(Sorry for not posting this in the individual book threads, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers...)

 

[2of1million]

I know that at the beginning of the year, they didn't have Takedown in any of my local stores. OK, sometimes they have trouble with stocking the new releases around the holiday season. But as far as I know, they *never* ended up getting it. So I ended up buying it online from Amazon. Which I don't like, but for one time, OK, whatever.

After that, things seemed to return to normal, and they stocked the new releases as they came out... until the end of July. None of my local stores stocked Seekers 3: Long Shot. Sure, sometimes things are delayed, and the new books aren't on the shelf by the end of the month. But we're now in early September, and it still hasn't shown up. According to their website, there are some stores that have copies. The closest are: 2 copies in Windsor, and 1 copy in Winnipeg. (For the record, Winnipeg is 1400 km away.)

OK, fine, maybe it's a one-off thing, like Takedown. Maybe the last Seekers novels didn't sell well, or whatever. Flash-forward to the end of August: so far, there is no in-store stock of Atonement. Granted, like I said, sometimes they're late... it's been a couple weeks, but it could theoretically still show up. But with the continuing absence of Long Shot, now I'm wary.

So I was wondering... are any other Canadians having trouble finding TrekLit in-store at Chapters/Indigo? Now that they're really the only chain left, it would be quite unfortunate if they stopped carrying them in their brick and mortar stores altogether.

(Sorry for not posting this in the individual book threads, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers...)

Atonement isn't in stock in any stores here in Edmonton. Had to order it from the chapters website. There does seem to be less copies available in stores or none at all. Guess I'll just stick with the ebooks.

 

[BillJ]

Why not just ask a store clerk?

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ Ask them what? I'm not sure the clerks are really privy to the decisions as to what the store is going to carry. I probably will ask about it next time I'm in, just to see, but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level.

 

[William Leisner]

^ The clerks ought to be able to tell you if there are copies on order for their location, at the very least.

 

[2of1million]

^ The clerks ought to be able to tell you if there are copies on order for their location, at the very least.

Indeed. And if there aren't, they can order it for you.

 

[Cadet49]

I haven't seen any of those titles at my local store, either. Just curious - anyone know why there aren't any new Trek novels set in the new film continuity? I'm not really interested in reading about the old continuity, pre-Trek 09, (I tried reading some of the post TNG Nemesis stuff, but there was too much backstory I didn't know about )but wouldperhaps be interested in stories of the new continuity, if they tied into the films, the way Star Wars is doing with their latest "Road to The Force Awakens" novels... Will we ever see something like that setting up for Star Trek Beyond?

 

[DimesDan]

^ Ask them what? I'm not sure the clerks are really privy to the decisions as to what the store is going to carry. I probably will ask about it next time I'm in, just to see, but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level.

The question you've asked.

When I used to work in retail and get asked if we sold or stopped selling products one of three things happened: I knew the answer already and was able to give the answer and explain why the product has been stopped. If I didn't know the answer, I would ask someone higher up the food chain in the store (espcially if it wasn't my department) and get the answer and if they didn't know the answer, I would give the customer information line a ring or consult the staff side of the company website and then get back to the customer.

 

[The Wormhole]

No, Chapters hasn't stopped carrying Trek novels in general, my local Chapters in Nova Scotia has eleven copies of the Captain Kirk autobiography. For what it's worth, the last year or so the actual Chapters stores are just slow to get new releases in general. Since I have a membership card with them, I prefer getting stuff from them and have since settled with ordering from their website.

I haven't seen any of those titles at my local store, either. Just curious - anyone know why there aren't any new Trek novels set in the new film continuity? I'm not really interested in reading about the old continuity, pre-Trek 09, (I tried reading some of the post TNG Nemesis stuff, but there was too much backstory I didn't know about )but wouldperhaps be interested in stories of the new continuity, if they tied into the films, the way Star Wars is doing with their latest "Road to The Force Awakens" novels... Will we ever see something like that setting up for Star Trek Beyond?

This is covered a lot on this forum, but long story short, Bad Robot won't authorize Pocket Books to cover anything from the Abrams movies, and four novels set in the Abramsverse due to be released summer 2010 were pulled at the last moment with no real explanation. So, no there will be no novels setting up for Beyond, in fact the novel line-up for 2016 has already been announced with nothing related to Beyond there.

There will probably be a comic prequel to Beyond released by IDW, which had such prequels for Trek XI and STID. Though I hope this time they go for a title which doesn't try to ham fist the term "Countdown" in there.

 

[BillJ]

^ Ask them what? I'm not sure the clerks are really privy to the decisions as to what the store is going to carry. I probably will ask about it next time I'm in, just to see, but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level.

The question you've asked.

When I used to work in retail and get asked if we sold or stopped selling products one of three things happened: I knew the answer already and was able to give the answer and explain why the product has been stopped. If I didn't know the answer, I would ask someone higher up the food chain in the store (espcially if it wasn't my department) and get the answer and if they didn't know the answer, I would give the customer information line a ring or consult the staff side of the company website and then get back to the customer.

+1

Same steps I would've taken when I worked in retail.

 

[TheAlmanac]

I'm still seeing Star Trek titles in various Chapters and Coles locations--but then, I'm in Winnipeg, home of one copy of Seekers 3.

Things seem okay for now--or at least consistent with selection in recent years--but I worry about what will happen when the flood of tie-ins to The Force Awakens start to come in and stores decide on their media tie-in ordering priorities.

 

[Idran]

I'm still seeing Star Trek titles in various Chapters and Coles locations--but then, I'm in Winnipeg, home of one copy of Seekers 3.

Things seem okay for now--or at least consistent with selection in recent years--but I worry about what will happen when the flood of tie-ins to The Force Awakens start to come in and stores decide on their media tie-in ordering priorities.

That's why it's all the more important to ask about it. Stores stock things that are likely to sell, and going out of your way to ask about a book (or even ask for them to special-order you a book) communicates to management "hey, there's customer interest here".

 

[Paris]

As to the OP...I've noticed the same thing in all the Ottawa chapters. I asked the clerks in Kanata and at Pinecrest, neither knew when they were expected or even if they were expected, so I ordered Atonement and Seekers#3 from Amazon instead.I had to do the same thing with Takedown earlier this year. So...same experience basically.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Thanks to all for the replies!

^ The clerks ought to be able to tell you if there are copies on order for their location, at the very least.

Fair enough. I will ask about it the next time I'm in.

Indeed. And if there aren't, they can order it for you.

Yeah, I generally don't special order. The reason I don't really like buying them online is because I'm one of those crazy people who will go through each copy on the shelf to pick out the best one. So, if I'm only going to get the choice of one copy anyway... I may as well order it online and have it delivered to my home.

The question you've asked.

When I used to work in retail and get asked if we sold or stopped selling products one of three things happened: I knew the answer already and was able to give the answer and explain why the product has been stopped. If I didn't know the answer, I would ask someone higher up the food chain in the store (espcially if it wasn't my department) and get the answer and if they didn't know the answer, I would give the customer information line a ring or consult the staff side of the company website and then get back to the customer.

I will ask about it next time I'm in, and will see what happens.

No, Chapters hasn't stopped carrying Trek novels in general, my local Chapters in Nova Scotia has eleven copies of the Captain Kirk autobiography.

Yeah, I noticed on their website tonight that one of my local stores has this one in stock too... after I had already ordered it from Amazon! (But I had to order the other b&m! books from Amazon previously. Is this the first one that has been released to all stores at the same time?)

But at any rate, this is a different publisher, a different format (hc vs. mmpb), and a different style of book (in-universe "reference" vs. standard novel), so I'm not really sure it's a good indicator for S&S's novel line?

Since I have a membership card with them, I prefer getting stuff from them and have since settled with ordering from their website.

I do as well, and that's actually one of the things that bugs me about them only offering them online: the in-store discount is 10%, but the online discount is only 5%. Although in looking just now, it appears that Takedown and Long Shot are both sold online at 5% off list, so you would be almost getting the full 10% in those cases. Atonement is still listed at the full $9.99.

I'm still seeing Star Trek titles in various Chapters and Coles locations--but then, I'm in Winnipeg, home of one copy of Seekers 3.

Stores stock things that are likely to sell, and going out of your way to ask about a book (or even ask for them to special-order you a book) communicates to management "hey, there's customer interest here".

That's one of the things I don't get about all this. They always seemed to sell fairly well. When they got in, say, nine copies of a new Trek release one month, it seemed that there would fairly consistently only be a couple copies left by the time the next one came out the following month.

As to the OP...I've noticed the same thing in all the Ottawa chapters. I asked the clerks in Kanata and at Pinecrest, neither knew when they were expected or even if they were expected, so I ordered Atonement and Seekers#3 from Amazon instead.I had to do the same thing with Takedown earlier this year. So...same experience basically.

I just the other day finally ordered Long Shot from Amazon, since I needed to order something with The Autobiography of James T. Kirk to get above the free shipping threshold. I figured it's been long enough: if it was coming, it probably would have been here by now. I'm still holding out hope that Atonement may still show up in stores, though.

 

[DEWLine]

They haven't stopped carrying the books in their Ottawa stores. Maybe a reduced count of copies on the shelves in recent years, but they haven't stopped selling the books.

 

[Mage]

^ Ask them what? I'm not sure the clerks are really privy to the decisions as to what the store is going to carry. I probably will ask about it next time I'm in, just to see, but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level.

Being a sort of store-clerk myself.... Yeah, we kinda do know actually. We might only work at a simple store, but a good clerk actually knows a thing or two about the products they sell. And if a certain type of product is not longer available, they should know.

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ No offense was intended. When I said "but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level", I meant I thought I had been told that by the Chapters employees themselves. Granted, maybe I'm misremembering, or have got them confused with another store, or whatever, but it wasn't just something I based of an online post or anything.

At any rate, as I mentioned, I will ask next time I'm in. I haven't been in since I posted thread originally.

When I checked today, Atonement is now showing as "available in stores", but again, none in my area (yet). The closest seems to be the Pinecrest Shopping Centre location in Ottawa.

 

[DimesDan]

^ Ask them what? I'm not sure the clerks are really privy to the decisions as to what the store is going to carry. I probably will ask about it next time I'm in, just to see, but I seem to recall that I've been told before that those decisions are made above the individual store level.

Being a sort of store-clerk myself.... Yeah, we kinda do know actually. We might only work at a simple store, but a good clerk actually knows a thing or two about the products they sell. And if a certain type of product is not longer available, they should know.

And if someone doesn't know, their will be people in the store who will know.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

When B&N stopped shelving Trek books a few years back, employees encouraged me to ask the manager at the store, who then encouraged me to call up the Corporate offices (and he would do the same.) Not every employee know of the embargo, but when I explained it, almost all of them mentioned that while the decision was above store level, even a few people/employees/managers making a fuss would probably get some attention to it. They still had the books at the warehouse, and would sell them online and would deliver them to the store for purchase, but just wouldn't shelve them.

 

[Mage]

The decision making is above our heads, sure. But we need to keep customers informed, so we usually do get some information if certain products aren't available anymore. And even if we don't, we usually know enough about how the system works to explain why certain items aren't on the shelf anymore.

The biggest reason is store space. If certain items aren't selling well enough, or at all, they take up valuable space, space in which better selling items could be placed. And although we, as fans, like to asume our TrekLit is doing pretty good, compared to the newest Stephen King or Dan Brown, it really doesn't sell that well.

So yeah, the choice is made to no longer store them. There's a good change they could order in a copy for you specifically though.