The Great Book Store Debate

I thought I would share what I believed the pro's and cons of high street book stores such as Waterstones, versus independent book stores and second hand book shops to be.

Pro's of the high street stores:

• the convince: for example, you can preorder and check availability of books that you are interested in without leaving your home.
• wide variety: there is always a variety of books within these stores, and there is the almost guarantee that there will be the latest releases available in store.
• rewards systems: there are rewards systems, like the ones at Waterstones where you can collect points, and stamps which in turn lead to receiving money off your later purchases.

Con's of the high street stores:

• prices: the prices of high street stores are often higher than those of independent book shops, and second hand book shops.
• busy: during peak times the stores are often busy which for me can really affect the time I spend in store, which can also affect the number of purchases I make and the quality and enjoyment of the time in store,

Pro's of independent stores and local charity shops:

• prices: the prices are typically lower in the stores, in particular local charity stores. 
• location: I live in an area of the North East of England called Northumberland, and there aren't many accessible high street stores within a short distance. However, the number of charity stores and independent book shops that are easily accessible for me is substantially higher.
• support: when purchasing book from independent stores and charity shops you are supporting a charity, or a local business. There is a drive to support these smaller business as apposed to those high street stores, as supporting the smaller non-high street stores can mean you are supporting a local cause, a family business or a charity. And that is something I am more than happy to support.

Con's of independent stores and local charity shops:

• limited stock: there is limited stock within these particular types of stores, and it may be more difficult to find a particular book that you are looking for, however you may be pleasantly surprised.

Now this is just my opinion around the pros and cons of each type of store, however I do favour independent stores and local charity shops over high street stores. Where do you prefer to shop for your books? And are there any pro's or con's that you think I have missed? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear you opinion on the matter.

                                                     bye for now my little pumpkins