NISKAYUNA — Barnes & Noble will close its Niskayuna store and the space will be subdivided into three separate retail spaces, town officials have confirmed.
Town Supervisor Joe Landry said the town received an application within the past week detailing the plans. The Daily Gazette obtained those plans Wednesday morning.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Landry. “I’m not sure if it’s something that is happening because of the current bookselling market. I don’t know why it’s happening.”
Barnes & Noble opened a store in the town’s Mohawk Commons shopping center in November 2003. At the time, it employed about 80 people.
A store manager on Tuesday said she was not aware that the store would be closing. Company spokesman Alan McNamara said Tuesday evening he would have to look into the matter.
But company executives at the nation’s last major bookstore chain have recently declared they would be closing about 20 of the chain’s more than 600 stores each year for the next decade. The closure of its Niskayuna store would leave just two Barnes & Nobles locations in the Capital Region — one in Colonie and one in Wilton.
The retailer of books, magazines, newspapers and digital products has transformed itself in recent years from a store-based business to a multi-channel business centered on not just its stores, but digital commerce. In 2009, it came out with the Nook e-reader, which gave it a temporary boost but has seen a drop in sales over the past few years due to the overcrowded tablet market.
The last year has been a turbulent one for the bookseller. In the summer of 2013, Chief Executive William Lynch abruptly resigned. And just last week, the publicly traded company lost one of its major backers, Liberty Media, causing its stock to sharply drop.
It’s unclear who would occupy the 24,000-square-foot hole left at Mohawk Commons. The open-air shopping center at State Street and Balltown Road is leased and managed by DDR Corp., an Ohio-based owner of 406 shopping centers across the country and in Puerto Rico and Brazil. Other major tenants at the site include Lowe’s, Target, Price Chopper, Marshalls, Bed Bath and Beyond, PetSmart, Old Navy, Party City and Famous Footwear.
Town Planner Kathy Matern confirmed Wednesday that the plan to subdivide the space went before the town’s planning board Monday night. She said they’re currently under review and no further action will be taken on the proposal until at least April 21.
The plans show that DDR is looking to subdivide the space into three leasable areas of 11,840 square feet, 8,000 square feet and 4,000 square feet.
Tyler Terhune, a DDR official in charge of retail leasing at the center, did not return a call or email for comment Tuesday evening.
It's a shame. but that store was WAY too big for the area...I never saw more than 25-30 people in the place at one time...The CC store is a totally different story.. it actually SHOULD be bigger.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
Can't go and pay for parking and then pay higher prices at the downtown book store which has a very tiny selection.
Just another item unable to buy in Schenectady.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
With tablets now on the market it was only a matter of time before book stores took a hit.
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
With tablets now on the market it was only a matter of time before book stores took a hit.
That is true. It was just a nice convenience to go into the store and browse through books before buying.
Of course, now we're going to have to read a post by the alleged know-it-all who will be posting on here that the B&N doesn't know how to run a business, blah blah and how wonderful to be able to go to the taxpayer paradise to the book store for the tiny selection they have and pay more for a book than you can elsewhere. Normal people don't have two nannies to give them lucrative allowances.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
That is true. It was just a nice convenience to go into the store and browse through books before buying.
Of course, now we're going to have to read a post by the alleged know-it-all who will be posting on here that the B&N doesn't know how to run a business, blah blah and how wonderful to be able to go to the taxpayer paradise to the book store for the tiny selection they have and pay more for a book than you can elsewhere. Normal people don't have two nannies to give them lucrative allowances.
I'm guessing you are talking about the book store on Jay St, yeah that store is a joke compared to B&N, not to mention trying to find a parking spot to even get near Jay St.
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
Yeah, but you had me confused. Your comment is in my quote
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Open Door on Jay street is a great book store, one of my favorites...but not a very practical one. I love strolling through when I want a new book, but don't know what. It's got obscure authors and neat little employee comments. But, it never actually has any books that I know I want.
Ahh, I guess I'll order from Amazon now and go downtown on the weekends (no pay parking) when I need some inspiration.
Open Door on Jay street is a great book store, one of my favorites...but not a very practical one. I love strolling through when I want a new book, but don't know what. It's got obscure authors and neat little employee comments. But, it never actually has any books that I know I want.
Ahh, I guess I'll order from Amazon now and go downtown on the weekends (no pay parking) when I need some inspiration.
Open Door is a great bookstore - and not just books. Found gifts for about half the people on my Christmas list there.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
I heard on the stock report that their main share holders pulled out. The reason....'no need for the brick and mortar stores anymore.' Not enough foot traffic. More on-line/internet activity.
I personally like going right to the location but we have noticed that in the last few months, they didn't have the books we were looking for so they had to send them to our home direct from their warehouse.
The internet has become the new form of purchasing AND the new post office.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Open Door is a great bookstore - and not just books. Found gifts for about half the people on my Christmas list there.
How lucky you are two have your two taxpayer paid nannies to give you money to buy presents. Normal people who work, support themselves, pay bills, pay the taxes of the downtown rich, cannot afford to pay the higher prices. Normal people are not supported by a pair of nannies with high incomes provided by the taxpayers.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
I'm no fan of Schenectady's dimwits...........but you can't blame the closing of barnes and noble on politics....I mean lets be fair here.
They are closing many other stores thru out the country and the internet/technology is the reason.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
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