It's a pretty small shop and a kind of expensive one. They have (if I remember correctly, I haven't been there in awhile since I moved) an ABC section filled with period movies and documentaries and an SBS section full of foreign DVDs and though they had your best sellers, it felt to me more like they were interested in literary quality over commercial appeal.
In Camberwell, that could work. But then this happened:
They got a 2 storey Borders Superstore with cafe and everything move in as their neighbour. They already had an Angus & Robertson across the road. Surely a Borders as WELL was going to be the kiss of death. I was sure that the combined power of Angus & Robertson and Borders was going to shut Dymocks down in no time.
But it never happened.
And then the whole REDGroup collapse happened and they're closing Angus & Robertson in Camberwell. And as of this past week, I believe, Borders is holding a closing down sale of its own. (I have no first hand knowledge of this because I'm making a concerted effort to stay away from all the sales at the moment. I have a budget, dammit!)
But guess who's still standing? Yup. Dymocks.
I don't know what their finances are like, being a bookstore at the moment is a pretty trying thing to be, but my point is that the little specialty bookshop outlasted the Superstore AND their competitors across the road.
Goon onya, Dymocks. I'd be surprised if you didn't look like this:
Sairz
Don't think you've been in to either store in a while if you think we're small and expensive and a "specialty store"? ;)
ReplyDeleteWe are in a bigger store in the Well now, and have been consistently cheaper than A&R and Borders for quite a while (they've been pricing their stuff well above RRP and refusing to do special orders and we get many complaints...)
And um, A&R had peacefully coexisted with us for many many years, so they weren't really the threat. I think Borders' aggressive business policies failed them in the end though. Yes, they are closing in Camberwell.
But it is good to still be here!
You're right, I haven't been to Dymocks in The Well yet. And what I was saying (or trying to say) is that you had competition across the road already, then a SUPERSTORE (part of the same company as your already-there competition) moved in and I thought your days were numbered. But look who's laughing now. :)
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