Hot take: The vibe at my local shop is shifting

I was at Gotham Comics in Springfield yesterday and noticed a lot more people just flipping through books for a minute before putting them back. The owner said he's seen a 30% drop in single issue sales this year compared to last. Are other shops seeing more casual browsers than buyers?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith8813d ago

Yeah, it's not just comics. I see it at the book store by my place too. People come in, take pictures of covers with their phone, and leave. They treat the whole place like a free showroom, then go order it online for two bucks less. It's killing the vibe for people who actually want to hang out and talk about stuff.

miller.thomas13d ago

Ever notice that at record stores too, @keith88? Folks will snap a pic of the vinyl, then just walk out to find it cheaper. It really does suck the life out of the place.

mia_baker12d ago

My local shop just started charging a five dollar "browsing fee" for people who don't buy anything.