01-10-2009, 07:13 AM
hi Devany,
well of course I do know Basically Books (I've been living around Hilo town about 5 years now), but I don't like it as much as you do. I have bought a few books there, and some Christmas presents, but to me the prices are very oriented towards tourists, especially cruise ship visitors.
I buy very few books these days, as I already have 1000 or so that I need to trim ... I bought lots of used books when in grad school at Cal, especially from Moe's and Pegasus, and I brought most of them with me. The bookcases groan ... [
]
I still buy CD's, and I always use the coupons to get a good chunk off the list price.
Even though I don't buy their books, Borders lets me read them, on a couch, drinking a chai latte ... Basically Books would never do that. I know Borders is the dreaded "chain" but their concept is great.
I think the Starbucks haters don't actually hang out at the Borders. It is the closest thing to a coffee shop community I've seen in Hilo. I see the same people. People play Scrabble, visit, use their computers. People have interesting conversations. There is no pressure to buy anything, and that's probably why it underperformed. They even let you bring food over from Island Naturals, at least the Starbucks folks did.
And every person working the counter was nice, kind, cheerful, and never rude.
I talked to one girl yesterday who works there who said she was so sad, like her living room was closing up. That's how I feel too.
I don't go to the other Starbucks in Hilo, because there's not the same kind of people hanging out. So I will wait impatiently for the new franchise to open. [
]
and it's OK with me if people don't like it as much as I do, because there are already enough regulars that it's always hard to find a table!
well of course I do know Basically Books (I've been living around Hilo town about 5 years now), but I don't like it as much as you do. I have bought a few books there, and some Christmas presents, but to me the prices are very oriented towards tourists, especially cruise ship visitors.
I buy very few books these days, as I already have 1000 or so that I need to trim ... I bought lots of used books when in grad school at Cal, especially from Moe's and Pegasus, and I brought most of them with me. The bookcases groan ... [
]I still buy CD's, and I always use the coupons to get a good chunk off the list price.
Even though I don't buy their books, Borders lets me read them, on a couch, drinking a chai latte ... Basically Books would never do that. I know Borders is the dreaded "chain" but their concept is great.
I think the Starbucks haters don't actually hang out at the Borders. It is the closest thing to a coffee shop community I've seen in Hilo. I see the same people. People play Scrabble, visit, use their computers. People have interesting conversations. There is no pressure to buy anything, and that's probably why it underperformed. They even let you bring food over from Island Naturals, at least the Starbucks folks did.
And every person working the counter was nice, kind, cheerful, and never rude.
I talked to one girl yesterday who works there who said she was so sad, like her living room was closing up. That's how I feel too.
I don't go to the other Starbucks in Hilo, because there's not the same kind of people hanging out. So I will wait impatiently for the new franchise to open. [
]and it's OK with me if people don't like it as much as I do, because there are already enough regulars that it's always hard to find a table!