Albertine — Local services in New York

Knowing how much local stores have suffered since the onset of the pandemic, I decided to pick up a few French-language titles here today. The same titles are available on Amazon for the same price, but I really believe in making an effort to support small brick-and-mortar businesses when possible.

When I arrived at the store, there was a 20-minute queue to enter as the staff is quite strict about following social distancing measures. After 20 minutes of waiting in sub-freezing temperatures, the security guard came out and asked if anyone on line was picking up. I responded “yes” and followed him inside. After purchasing the books that I had ordered, I asked if it would be possible to peruse the store a bit. At this point, the demeanor of the cashier – Adam – changed suddenly and he became exceedingly rude. He said that I couldn’t “cut the line”, and I very politely explained that I’d already waited 20 minutes and that I was the next person on line. Adam then responded disrespectfully, “Well, I wasn’t there” before telling me that I could browse the store. I was speaking to Adam in French, and his French was not very good and it’s entirely possible that he doesn’t know the language well enough to address people with respect, so I shrugged off the encounter.

Then, after perusing the upstairs for no more than 2 minutes, the security guard – Abdul – who had let us in told me that anyone who placed an order for pickup needed to “just come get your books and leave.” I was incensed that after spending $30 at the store and 20 minutes waiting in the cold, that the security guard had the audacity to tell me and my husband to leave the store after we’d just been told that we could browse its collection.

Never in my life have I been so disrespected by the staff at any store, and never again will I waste time or money visiting Albertine. They must not realize that their main competitor is a tech behemoth that regularly eats small businesses for breakfast and is able to offer their customers the same products at the same or better prices with delivery to the home. I wish Albertine luck, but they have lost a very devoted...

I give Albertine 5 stars. Unquestionably a beautiful bookstore, with nice personnel. However, there is a caveat to my rating based upon my 57 years of selling French books as the owner of the Librairie de France in Rockefeller Center. The French Cultural Counselor openly proclaims---and I quote---“sales aren’t the primary goal. The project has been underwritten by sponsors including LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Total Corporate Foundation and Air France. There is no rent, which is a big New York problem,” he said. “We have the freedom to show the books we love.”

Can you imagine, considering the enormous expense of this enterprise, far from any business district, what could have been accomplished if the same financing were given to the internationally-renowned Librairie de France at Rockefeller Center for almost a century.”? Difficult to understand. Moreover, how can any small business possibly compete with a French-government-financed-institution who pays no rent, no taxes and sells books at a profit, underwritten by the likes of billion dollar conglomerates and French charitable organizations.

Our French bookstore carried on in Rockefeller Center for 74 years, closing with a staggering rent of $1,000 per day. Pleas for assistance to the French government fell on deaf ears. An editorial in the Nouvel Observateur proclaimed ” Emanuel Molho alerted the Cultural Service of the Embassy of France, who did not deign to reply. No one moved. No help was offered.” Le pays de Montaigne regarde mourir, dans l’indifférence, l’unique vitrine, là-bas, de son génie et de son humanisme. A croire qu’ils sont bel et bien révolus."

Too late to do anything about it now, and it does not take away from the beautiful Albertine, but as a very disappointed francophile who has devoted his entire business career to French books, I...

Great talks and books but the guy at the front desk is always so haughty and rude...to some. This time, he pandered shamelessly to the older Franco-French clients (“ ...et bien Madame, vous êtes trrrès cultivée”....ugh), then, when it was my turn, he hurriedly answered my question, cut me off and dismissed me with an irritated wave of the hand when I dared to think for a second to formulate my follow-up question. I ended up not buying the book that was presented at the event, especially since it would have meant having another interaction with him; I’m not spending money where I was treated with an inordinate amount of that stereotypical French disdain...by an American to boot! A middle of the road rating would seem fairer, but after several encounters of the sort it’s not worth it anymore. There are more than enough French language events at universities and other foreign language bookstores where non-French francophones can expect a more respectful...