Steven Bates of Bookery Fantasy in Fairborn, Ohio saw retailer Gene Smith's comments on mass merchant competition (see 'Gene Smith of Alien Entertainment on Mass Merchant Competition') and voices his agreement:
After reading Gene Smith's views on mass market competition, I have only one thing to say: 'Bravo!'
Too many in our industry are 'Chicken Littles,' crying every time something falls from the sky or pops up to challenge their status quo. If the whole world operated like that, we'd still be sitting around in caves eating berries staring at paintings of mastodons. Progress results from competition, and sometimes it is the little guy who can best weather the winds of change. Mass market chain stores are tied to gargantuan distribution models, requiring large orders, and very slow reaction time to trends. Independent comics and games retailers can adjust more quickly, and more creatively, to survive... and thrive.
Best Buy may be racking huge quantities of Japanese anime DVDs and offering large discounts, but they won't be carrying USED DVDs. It is also unlikely that they'll offer more adult fare like Urotsukodoji or Wicked City, a niche many smaller retailers could dominate (depending, of course, on local standards and the personal beliefs of shop owners or managers). While some chains, such as the Virgin Mega Music Stores, carry both graphic novels and DVDs, many do not, and this is another opportunity an independent operator can capitalize upon: being the 'one stop shop' for anime and manga fans.
Not everyone is a Gene Smith, armed with the same experience, ambition, resources, and talent. But we should all aspire to the example. Each of us has a unique business in our own communities, personal and connected in a way chain stores can NEVER be. In nearby Yellow Springs, Mary Alice Wilson has crafted Dark Star Comics into the kind of store that thrives in the alternative-minded, intellectual, creative, and liberal community surrounding Antioch University. My store, if lifted by one of the frequent and infamous local tornadoes and dropped there like Dorothy into Oz, would surely fail in Yellow Springs. Mary Alice has remade Dark Star over many times over the years, adjusting to changing demand and trends, and survived. Like Gene, she has not been defeated by competition, only challenged by it.
I am not naive about the potential for lost revenue and diminishing sell-through as the result of mass market competition. Nor am I terrified by it. It is what it is: capitalism. Do I relish going 'head to head' with corporate giants with armies of advertising agencies and more money than the national debt?
Do you think David was excited about facing Goliath?
