Star Trek books at Walmart

[Ktrek]

This subject came up on Psiphi.org about Walmart no longer stocking Star Trek books in their stores. I purchased the mass market paperbacks every month from them for many many years until my local store stopped carrying them about 6 months ago and I was forced to take my business to Barnes and Nobles.

Walmart's price is usually over a $2.00 savings per book and so over a year I actually saved enough to buy three books and even more when there used to be two MMB a month coming out.

So, I decided to contact the Walmart Corporation and see if they could get Star Trek books back into my local Walmart. And guess what? They actually contacted the local store manager and he is going to start carrying Star Trek books in stock again. Yippee! :-D He said their distributer had the three latest books in stock and he would get them in.

Anyway, if you want to see Star Trek books in your local store you could do like I did and contact the corporate office. I sent both an email from their webpage and I also called their customer service number. Here is the link:

http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=224

The customer service number is:

1-800-925-6278

So, if you want Walmart to carry your favorite books you just have to work at it.

Kevin

 

[Trent Roman]

And yet when I contact the corporate office to ask for living wages and health care for employees, they just hang up on me. Fickle.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Therin of Andor]

^^As I often say here, if a reader never tells the shop precisely what he came for, and is therefore now leaving empty-handed, how can a shop predict what to order in?

 

[Starbreaker]

Oh, don't forget to look in the YA section if you can't find them right off the bat, I used to have to go search through there to find them (not Star Wars books though. )

 

[Therin of Andor]

^Again, a brief word to the manager is needed. A friendly "These books are not appropriate for the YA section" - to someone who can actually make a decision about moving them.

 

[Ktrek]

If every Walmart store in the country carried even two copies of every Trek book released that could equate to a whole lot of sales for the authors.

Kevin

 

[BrentMc]

I emailed them using your link. I would like to see ST books at my Walmart or Sam's Club. Thanks for the post.

 

[ncc71877]

As I work for the great beast. I can tell you that contacting Bentonville is the only real way to get the company to listen. The store manager has surprisingly little say on what the store gets and does not get. I was told that the conpany has decided that sci-fi and fantasy are not strong sellers and no longer warrant thier own section, and only 'high profile' books are put in the general new releases. So call and email if you want something done, and do so often.

Of course my store's manager is a bit of a... how to put this... ass.

ncc71877

 

[Ktrek]

Well contacting the corporate office worked for me and I even have the store managers cell phone number now. I guess I'll hold on to it in case he doesn't come through!

Kevin

 

[od0_ital]

My local Wal-Marts (yes, I have more than one Supercenter within two interstate exits on my way home) both carry Star Trek MMPBs, so this isn't really an issue.

I do, however, have to go to Borders or Barnes & Noble for trade paperbacks and hardcovers.

 

[Ktrek]

I do, however, have to go to Borders or Barnes & Noble for trade paperbacks and hardcovers.

I actually order all trades and hardcovers from Amazon because with the pre-order discount price, even with postage, I spend less than the cover price of the book I have to pay at Barnes and Nobles. Even if I had a B&N membership I still come out ahead by purchasing through Amazon and I also don't have to spend about $5.00 in gas to get me to the store and back. Online is the way to go IMHO.

But when it comes to Walmart my wife and I have to make at least one trip a month for certain supplies so I'm there anyway. To go to B&N I have to make a special trip or at least go out of my way to get there.

Kevin

 

[JD]

This good to know, but my Wal-Mart actually does get tie ins occaisionally. So far I've seen a Bones (TV series) book, CSI, several different Marvel heroes, Criminal Minds, Star Wars, and the occaisional movie tie-in. I usually don't get them there though, because it usually takes them couple months to get them and when they do they usually have one or two at a time.

 

[od0_ital]

Ktrek said:

od0_ital said:
... I do, however, have to go to Borders or Barnes & Noble for trade paperbacks and hardcovers.

I actually order all trades and hardcovers from Amazon because with the pre-order discount price, even with postage, I spend less than the cover price of the book I have to pay at Barnes and Nobles. Even if I had a B&N membership I still come out ahead by purchasing through Amazon and I also don't have to spend about $5.00 in gas to get me to the store and back. Online is the way to go IMHO...

I don't shop online. So, Amazon.com isn't an option.

Besides, I'd rather walk into a bookstore and pick what to read next right off the shelf, not click through options lookin' at jpegs.

 

[2of1million]

od0_ital said:

I don't shop online. So, Amazon.com isn't an option.

Besides, I'd rather walk into a bookstore and pick what to read next right off the shelf, not click through options lookin' at jpegs.

Same here. Going to the bookstore is half the fun!

 

[Starbreaker]

Therin of Andor said:
^Again, a brief word to the manager is needed. A friendly "These books are not appropriate for the YA section" - to someone who can actually make a decision about moving them.

The books are all brought in by vendors, though. Not many things in Wal-Mart are, but magazines, books, bread, Nabisco, Coke, and Pepsi all send people in on a regular basis.

 

[JWolf]

What I do is wait for the 20-30% off coupons from Borders to show up in my email and then I use them to get trek pBooks if I decide to. Trek pBooks are the only pBooks I purchase these days.

 

[Sito_Jaxa]

^ I love those coupons!

 

[jddj34]

ncc71877 said:
As I work for the great beast. I can tell you that contacting Bentonville is the only real way to get the company to listen. The store manager has surprisingly little say on what the store gets and does not get. I was told that the conpany has decided that sci-fi and fantasy are not strong sellers and no longer warrant thier own section, and only 'high profile' books are put in the general new releases. So call and email if you want something done, and do so often.

Of course my store's manager is a bit of a... how to put this... ass.

ncc71877

Funny you say that as my Wal-mart finally put UP a sci-fi section which is great for someone like me who works 60 hours a week and can't drive an hour to borders or B&N. Forged in Fire, A Burning house, Vanguard, Q&A, and Before Dishonor are there at the moment and they carry the comic books sometimes. Also the bulk of the star wars new new jedi order series is there in paperback

 

[ClayinCA]

jddj34, that's the biggest selection of Trek books in a Wal-Mart that I've heard of in years! Said Wal-Mart wouldn't happen to be in New Jersey, would it?

- Clay, hoping

 

[JD]

jddj34 said:

ncc71877 said:
As I work for the great beast. I can tell you that contacting Bentonville is the only real way to get the company to listen. The store manager has surprisingly little say on what the store gets and does not get. I was told that the conpany has decided that sci-fi and fantasy are not strong sellers and no longer warrant thier own section, and only 'high profile' books are put in the general new releases. So call and email if you want something done, and do so often.

Of course my store's manager is a bit of a... how to put this... ass.

ncc71877

Funny you say that as my Wal-mart finally put UP a sci-fi section which is great for someone like me who works 60 hours a week and can't drive an hour to borders or B&N. Forged in Fire, A Burning house, Vanguard, Q&A, and Before Dishonor are there at the moment and they carry the comic books sometimes. Also the bulk of the star wars new new jedi order series is there in paperback