Chain retailers bent on eliminating Independent bookstores?

Yes, that includes large "Christian" chain bookstores as well. Just another reason for small publishers to not sacrifice their business by attempting to get books inside a Barnes & Noble or any other chain bookstore. My source is the Gale Encyclopedia of US history:

In the 1970s, national chain bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Waldenbooks began to open retail outlets in malls across the country. By buying in volume, chains could earn more profit on each copy of a book sold, allowing them to pay higher rents. Buying in volume also meant that they could negotiate deeper discounts from publishers. By passing this discount on to book buyers, the chains were able to attract customers away from the smaller independent bookstores.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/publishing-industry#ixzz1Z4FaOsSM

"By passing this discount on to book buyers, the chains were able to attract customers away from the smaller independent bookstores." What? What? What?

Gee, what ever happened to working together for the common good of the well, umm, AUTHOR!!! So B&N and OTHER chain bookstores are actively seeking to lure business away from "smaller" independent bookstores. Innocent enough I guess unless you consider, B&N and OTHER chain bookstores won't even let small publishers in and has recently taken the stand that a small publisher can't even get in on consignment EVEN IF they sign on to abide by an "outdated" and unworkable industry standard return policy.

Look out large chain bookstores your "true" colors are showing. Go ahead. Keep pandering to those large publishers. How long do you think you can stay in business when over 75% of the publishing industry today is made up of SMALL PUBLISHERS and you don't do anything to make getting into your stores workable and now, not even doable. As it stands, NO small publisher can even get an event at a B&N period. And oh my, you should here the way they try to explain this. If it weren't so sad it'd be funny.

Indie stores, make your move! Create an new industry standard return policy that fits the market today. I'm going to be in Dayton Ohio Halloween weekend. I can't get into a B&N to do an event. I don't honor the industry standard return policy as it is but you can certainly work with my publisher to devise a return policy that is beneficial to both parties.

"The song has been sung. The time is upon us," or you could just sit there, "cowering your bathwater." ;)