Costco's Book Blunder & Capitalism's Autocorrect

[Virgil Showlion]

I found another article that suggests that 17,000 is the number of Clinton books sold in the third week at Costco specifically. But combine that with the massive reported percentages in weekly declines, it would mean that Costco sold virtually all of the books. That to me seems absurd. I'd be surprised if they were even a tenth of the hardcover book market.

So now I'm confused. Maybe somebody will find some clearer numbers. I'm out for the weekend.

Suffice it to say that if we treat 17,000 as the aggregate number of Clinton Costco sales over three weeks, factoring in the percentage declines reported by WaPo, third week sales would be approx 1,600 copies at all Costco locations.

[Opti]

I guess if Rush doesn't rile up enough viewers for sales,

you go out with your message to your buyers yourself...

"Tuesday night on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, D'Souza echoed arguments that his book had been pulled for political reasons. "This is clearly a political decision that they made," he said. "I think it's because of their alliance with the Obama administration and now they're feeling the heat so they're trying to figure out how to wriggle out of it." "

From Virgil's last posted URL.

Advertising, advertising.

I guess Hillary needs to come up with some spin and hit the Comedy Show

or Late Night.

[Opti]

Suffice it to say that if we treat 17,000 as the aggregate number of Clinton Costco sales over three weeks, factoring in the percentage declines reported by WaPo, third week sales would be approx 1,600 copies at all Costco locations.

We could. However we don't know if the reporting periods of Costco match with the

industry reporting periods WaPo reported on. The quote from Costco implies they don't

match all that well.

And again, across all Costco locations it was sold at. We don't know that either I

think as Dinesh's 15 copies per Costco store definitely is not 15 x 600 = 3750(or whatever it is).

He'd have to sell roughly 9000 copies per week if it were across all 600 stores.

For all we know Costco does *shock* inventory mgmt. and neither Hillary's or

Dinesh's books are in the same stores or in the same number of stores.

It might vary *weekly*.

Oh, noooz. Call out the conservative capitalists. Inventory mgmt. is probably just

another communist plot to ruin the country.

[EVT1]

Yeah right- pulled for 'political reasons'. They could have just not put the thing on the shelf at all rather than give customers an entire month to buy his crap.

I bet they sold the shit out of Limbaugh's books- don't recall Rush complaining of 'censorship' either. 

Just something to work people up that like to get worked up- tune in for their daily dose of outrage OBAAAAAMAAAAAAA!!!!

The anger merchants are going to miss him when he is gone about as much as comedians missed Bush after he left.  Enjoy it while it lasts & by all means go shop at Sam's Club.

 

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 11, 2014 18:57:14 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Jul 11, 2014 4:02:49 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

www.snopes.com/politics/business/dsouza.asp

     Costco's response to inquiries about the issue has been to assert that their motivation for pulling D’Souza’s book from their shelves was based on sales rather than politics.

Anybody who believes this, raise your hand.

As the articles clearly point out, sales of Hillary Clinton's book have been even more in the tank--for longer--and Costco didn't see fit to axe that "based on sales rather than politics".

This is the political right's version of boycotting Chik Fil-A. Only the right is doing it because Costco is actually censoring books, not because the Costco CEO dared speak out in defense of marriage.

Incidentally, the 161,000 copies in three weeks for Ms. Clinton's book is across all book publishers, not just Costco (as the articles also clearly indicate).

Does anybody here actually read these things? The answers are all right there.

 Except that I personally don't do the boycott thing.  Costco is a great store and I'm not going to let politics get in the way of good business- and for me and my family, Costco just makes sense.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I'm a layman in the whole "book sales" thing obviously, but I know one undeniable fact: conservatives are fiercely loyal to their icons, and they are readers who buy and read conservative books. One need look no further than Rush Limbaugh's recent foray into children's books. But you can look at the lot of the conservative books of late- Glenn Beck's "Miracles and Massacres", Mark Levin's "Liberty & Tyranny" and "The Liberty Amendments". Bottom line, is that Costco's story doesn't hold water- if they're serious about the BUSINESS of SELLING BOOKS, then they should have known generally about conservative book sales, and they would cater to conservatives because we spend money and many a conservative would impulse-buy a prominently displayed conservative book. Further, with respect to D'Souza's book- they knew or should have known about the movie release, and putting that together with what is already known about conservative book sales-- they would have been able to foresee the spike in sales, and they would have stocked accordingly. The fact is, they didn't care about these facts, and/or they're ignorant of them-- and the reason for the former, and the explanation for the latter, if true-- is that they're ideology clouded their judgment. Period. End of story.

[OldCoyote]

First three weeks sold 161000 worldwide.
Up front payment $14,000,000.
Sales drop by 40%
$14,000,000 divided by 161000 Equals $86.86,   Not counting all other costs.

That just might be a bad business decision.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 12, 2014 8:58:45 GMT -5 OldCoyote said:

First three weeks sold 161000 worldwide.
Up front payment $14,000,000.
Sales drop by 40%
$14,000,000 divided by 161000 Equals $86.86,   Not counting all other costs.

That just might be a bad business decision.

biographies are generally bad business.  but i am glad we have them.

[Opti]

Found some interesting things and perhaps I'll be able to find them

again and at least post the URL's.

On the face of it, it seems that Costco had decided to stop selling the book because it wasn’t selling that well and they have a very limited selection of books, so they get rid of the things that aren’t moving well, as you would expect since that is what they do with the items in the rest of the store. But there are many that see this as some evil, politically motivated conspiracy.

I think this is a case of seeing controversy where there is none. Sometimes books don’t sell well at a particular retailer, it just happens. Costco stores don’t necessarily have the same demographics as Amazon, so their sales aren’t going to be the same. And honestly, this alleged slight to the book has probably done more for its sales than anything else. Costco has always carried books on both ends of the political spectrum, so it seems pretty clear that they don’t pick their books based on political message. They have a book on their table right now that is, by all accounts, also very critical of Obama and the current administration, One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future by Dr. Ben Carson. I’ve also seen books by Rush Limbaugh at Costco, and if anyone is hating the other side of the political spectrum, it is him. So if Costco is so concerned with pushing a political agenda through their book table selections, why do they sell these books? Why is it just this one book that would be pulled? Probably because this one book wasn’t selling well with their members.

addictedtocostco.com/2014/07/09/costco-controversy-around-book-selection/

[Opti]

In the November 2008 issue of The Costco Connection, you can read all about Costco’s book selection and the team of buyers in ‘The Big Little Bookstore’. There are just four buyers that take care of securing the selection available at Costco, and another buyer for the books available on Costco.com. Remarkably, according to this article Costco is one of the top five booksellers in the United States. While they make sure to have all of the bestsellers available they also hand pick titles that are selected by the buying team but always offering around only 200 titles at one time. Their goal is to offer a savings of 30% to 60% off of the suggested retail prices. But you should read the full article for some other interesting tidbits about the book buying team at Costco.

addictedtocostco.com/2008/11/11/books-books-more-books-from-costco/

[djAdvocate]

Jul 12, 2014 14:00:39 GMT -5 Opti said:

Found some interesting things and perhaps I'll be able to find them

again and at least post the URL's.

On the face of it, it seems that Costco had decided to stop selling the book because it wasn’t selling that well and they have a very limited selection of books, so they get rid of the things that aren’t moving well, as you would expect since that is what they do with the items in the rest of the store. But there are many that see this as some evil, politically motivated conspiracy.

I think this is a case of seeing controversy where there is none. Sometimes books don’t sell well at a particular retailer, it just happens. Costco stores don’t necessarily have the same demographics as Amazon, so their sales aren’t going to be the same. And honestly, this alleged slight to the book has probably done more for its sales than anything else. Costco has always carried books on both ends of the political spectrum, so it seems pretty clear that they don’t pick their books based on political message. They have a book on their table right now that is, by all accounts, also very critical of Obama and the current administration, One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future by Dr. Ben Carson. I’ve also seen books by Rush Limbaugh at Costco, and if anyone is hating the other side of the political spectrum, it is him. So if Costco is so concerned with pushing a political agenda through their book table selections, why do they sell these books? Why is it just this one book that would be pulled? Probably because this one book wasn’t selling well with their members.

addictedtocostco.com/2014/07/09/costco-controversy-around-book-selection/

summary: the attempt to characterize this as an anti-capitalist blunder is pretty much the opposite of fact.

[Opti]

just got back from stocking up on Charmin and Bounty at the local Costco. Their book selection was completely, totally far right-wing. They have stacks and stacks of Going Rogue, Atlas Shrugged, and The Overton Window.

I finally spotted a book with President Obama on the cover. It was "Culture of Corruption" by Michelle Malkin.

What the heck? Does Costco have a right-wing agenda? Or is it just because I live in Texas?

Another point of view circa 2010.

[Opti]

Jul 12, 2014 14:17:22 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 12, 2014 14:00:39 GMT -5 Opti said:

Found some interesting things and perhaps I'll be able to find them

again and at least post the URL's.

On the face of it, it seems that Costco had decided to stop selling the book because it wasn’t selling that well and they have a very limited selection of books, so they get rid of the things that aren’t moving well, as you would expect since that is what they do with the items in the rest of the store. But there are many that see this as some evil, politically motivated conspiracy.

I think this is a case of seeing controversy where there is none. Sometimes books don’t sell well at a particular retailer, it just happens. Costco stores don’t necessarily have the same demographics as Amazon, so their sales aren’t going to be the same. And honestly, this alleged slight to the book has probably done more for its sales than anything else. Costco has always carried books on both ends of the political spectrum, so it seems pretty clear that they don’t pick their books based on political message. They have a book on their table right now that is, by all accounts, also very critical of Obama and the current administration, One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future by Dr. Ben Carson. I’ve also seen books by Rush Limbaugh at Costco, and if anyone is hating the other side of the political spectrum, it is him. So if Costco is so concerned with pushing a political agenda through their book table selections, why do they sell these books? Why is it just this one book that would be pulled? Probably because this one book wasn’t selling well with their members.

addictedtocostco.com/2014/07/09/costco-controversy-around-book-selection/

summary: the attempt to characterize this as an anti-capitalist blunder is pretty much the opposite of fact.

Yup. I think Rush and the author should put their mouth where their money is and

not let Costco sell their books ever again. Both were on Costco book tables in 2010.

Since the buyer hasn't changed and the management is likely the same, I'm

thinking the problem is the self-important whiners who think they can force some bucks

in their pockets by creating a molehill and fanning it into a mountain.

Cut them off. They don't need the #3 bookseller behind them.

Optimist has spoken!

[Opti]

Reply #41 is from

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9074482

[Opti]

www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2012/08/costco_bookmobile_for_the_rabi.html

A blast from 2012

When did Costco morph into the bookmobile for Fox News and the rabid right wing?


Costco is currently featuring the following books on its very selective bookshelf:

Ann Coulter's "Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America."
David Limbaugh's "The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama's War on the Republic."

Phyllis Schlafly's "No Higher Power: Obama's War on Religious Freedom."

And Aaron Klein and Brenda Elliott's "Fool Me Twice: Obama's Shocking Plans for the Next Four Years Exposed."

On a slightly less hysterical note, the wholesaler is also stocking Edward Klein's "The Amateur" and the latest from Glenn Beck ("Cowards") and his favorite historian, David Barton ("The Jefferson Lies").

And at the progressive end of the book rack?

The lone Costco special is James Carville's "It's the Middle Class, Stupid."

I'm all for the free exchange of ideas, even when Ann Coulter reprises her thoughtful argument that liberals are satanic.

Is Costco showcasing the rabid right's greatest hits because those are the books publishers are willing to sell at a loss, just so that it keeps the Limbaughs -- David is Rush's younger brother -- and Coulters in the spotlight?

Do the folks at Costco buy into conservative theology, if only to the extent that they believe the economy and business will improve if the voters decide Obama is a demonic, war-mongering destroyer?

Or has Costco and its book buyer simply concluded that on the rare occasions that its steady customers forage for a book, they are most likely to snatch something that comes in raw-meat red ... or an equally unsubtle shade of gray?

[Opti]

Maybe he got the idea from Joan Rivers....

Police were called to a Los Angeles-area Costco on Tuesday after Joan Rivers staged a protest against the wholesale store, which she says has banned her new book.

The 79-year-old outspoken comedienne, reality star and co-host of the E! show "Fashion Police" wore sunglasses and held a megaphone as she stood inside an outlet in Burbank, signing copies of the publication. An officer was seen gesturing for her to leave. She later exited the store.

Rivers' book "I Hate Everything ... Starting With Me," was released in June and contains expletives and racy language. A rep for Costco had no immediate comment about whether the wholesale stores sell it or any of the comedienne's other products.

"My book has been banned from Costco," Rivers told KABC Television, OnTheRedCarpet.com's parent company, via phone. "On the back I have two [fake] quotes, one from Marie Antoinette, 'Let her eat (expletive),' and the other from Wilt Chamberlain, 'Even If I were alive, I wouldn't (expletive) her.' Costco, who sells condoms by the pallet, Paula Deen books, not good for health ... decided to ban my book."

"This is America. I don't want to see censorship. This is not Munich 1933.. I'm not accusing them of being anti-Semitic, but in their book section I did not see 'The Diary of Anne Frank,'" the comedienne, who is Jewish, said, adding: "You're banning a book because it has a funny quote, where will this lead us?"

www.ontheredcarpet.com/Joan-Rivers-causes-scene-in-Costco-store-after-alleged-book-ban-Photo/8765321

Where was Rush and Fox News then?!!!