Barnes & Noble — Attraction in Union

I checked your stores online to see which location would have the Reputation by Taylor Swift vinyl, and it said Union had it in stock. I drove half an hour to get there before opening just to be the first person in the store, and I got told they wouldn’t sell it to me because someone called yesterday to place it on hold. The policy says after 3 days, I can then hold it for myself to come to pick it up.

Okay, that's fine, but Lynn, your store manager, was condescending and rude during this process.

She called another store to see if they had it in stock. While she was on hold, she said, “You really should call ahead and request a hold when you know something is coming out.”

Ma’am…. Unless you live UNDER A ROCK, everyone knows that the Reputation vinyl is tough to find right now. So I tell Lynn, “Yes…. Usually, I’d wait outside during a release, but this isn’t a new release; it was just announced on Friday that we can now buy Reputation.” I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but as a loyal Swiftie- you would understand why I didn’t buy this vinyl before May 30th. The other cashier agreed and said, “Yes, you want to buy the album now that she owns all her masters.” I turned to her and said, “You get me.”

Then Lynn, while still on hold, says, “Actually, this album came out in April.”

Again, ma’am, with all due respect, what are you even talking about? Reputation came out in November 2017, not April 2025. Maybe you got inventory in April? Also, you clearly aren’t in the know about how rare or big of a deal it is to get the album right now. It’s not helpful to act this way to a customer.

The other B&N didn’t have it, and I asked again if I could just buy the vinyl since the other person had yet to come and get it; at this point, it’s already been 24 hours out of the 3-day rule. She said no and, “Good luck.”

Lynn was condescending and rude- I don’t care that she didn’t understand the importance of this but, don’t try to school someone on something when you’ve never even stepped into the classroom.

I called a mom and pop store 30 minutes further away and they had it, gladly put it aside for me and I told them I was coming by immediately to get it. Not only did I buy that album from them but I purchased another album while there.

Only ever purchasing from small shops...

First off 60% of this is on their old landlord looking to level out their old location for a Chick-fil-A drive-through and not on B&N However If you blindfolded me and asked me where I was when you removed it I'd have thought borders right before they filed bankruptcy (affectionately),

The atmosphere has lost all its Barnes & Nobel welcoming charm and warm identity it's all garish reflective "bright oak" wood that screams clearance ikea laminate. Very tall shelves that I at 5'6" can't reach the top of so I will have to be forced to interact with an associate to go get a step stool to take down which if I want to read more than spines kills browsing for titles.

No cafe so having a cup of coffee or tea with your new book or a quick bite in the middle of the day when you're there is gone, especially direr now that they upgraded their membership to have cafe benefits so you can't even use the enhanced benefits there.

The book selections are ABYSMAL every section has been cut down to horrid lengths of what it was, most sections used to have like 20 to 28 feet of shelves now it's down to 8 feet or 12 feet AT MOST

everything is organized like weirdly claustrophobic "nooks" I guess you can call them but I was frequently saying "sorry" for bumping into people cause no more than 2 people can comfortably fit in most of them.

Media section is decimated don't even bother coming here if you purchased media here. What's here is abysmal and lacking, the criterion selection was gross in size compared to the old location

If this is the new image of Barns and Nobel it's so depressing that this is how they want to proceed. But I will still enjoy the other classic format locations 20/30 minutes away in Livingston mall and Menlo Park Mall. I'll just swing by here to pickup my monthy nat geo mag and dip right out until they close it because I don't see any long term B&N customer wanting to shop here for any reason other than morbid curiosity so I'm not even going to fall in love with it cause I can just tell already it's not going to be nearly as shopped at to last 20 years like the old store, frankly I give it one...

It's really a shame when you want to give your business to a place that clearly can't compete in terms of price and availability with Walmart or Amazon or even AbeBooks for that matter. But you still like the idea of a "bookstore" and to further support you also become a premium member for which you get a tote bag of good quality (albeit one that you've already paid for thrice with your membership) and 5% on purchases which are already at 30% to %50 markup vis-a-vis the previously mentioned alternative merchants. But as said, you like the idea of choice and giving your business here.

But IF I am placing an order for at 50% discount Criterion items on July 6th under the implicit understanding that when the items arrive I will pay at the price at which I placed the order, confirm the items with the warehouse and then wait a month and when the items finally come in you want to charge me at full price that is called "BAIT AND SWITCH".

The manager I spoke to today didn't know the term, but confirmed that "IF you request an item that is on discount and it arrives in the store after the end of a promotion you are responsible for the full price". So why not order it online then? What is the point of offering this service at your stores if you are going to rip the customer off?

Anyway, the items are already on order from Amazon, they will be here tomorrow at the 50% discount. In conclusion, thank you for the wasted time and the overpriced look-down; this family will not be renewing Premium Membership or returning for business. It's a shame really what has become of corporate American stores these days, complete contempt for the...