The rise of consumerism in the 21st century has brought up large, popular corporations. Most Americans are knowledgeable of Target, Kroger, Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Starbucks, and Barnes and Noble. These organizations have made it harder for small, independent businesses to flourish due to their exploding popularity. Everyone knows exactly what they are getting when they walk into a Starbucks; they know of the newest drinks because of social media as well as their classic recipes that never go out of style. The same goes for Barnes and Noble. If you want to find the release of a new book or the cutest tote bag that has been trending all over the internet, you will easily find it. While this dependability and familiarity allows for the customer to get exactly what they are looking for, unfortunately, it hinders the growth of small businesses; less people are likely to go to a quaint bookstore and browse and explore. 

HOW DOES THIS CHANGE CONSUMER CULTURE?

Carrollton’s very own Underground Books is one of the most unique and attractive stores in the downtown area; however, the Barnes and Noble at Ashley Park is booming. I have been to both stores many times and I hate to say it, but B & N is the more popular contestant in this unspoken contest. 

But, why is this?

If you have ever been in a Barnes and Noble, no matter if you are in California or Michigan, you basically know what you are going to find in these stores; they all have the same content. With this, people are less prone to find a book they have never read before by an author they have never heard of in such a large, consumer-driven corporation such as this. Barnes and Noble strictly provides books published by popular authors, mainly promoting highly mainstream books that most people have heard about. While Underground Books also provides some of the same popular, standard books as B&N, they also have more unique options that are less conventional; you wouldn’t find them at a big corporation. 

The rising generation of consumers is so exposed to what is popular and cool (and yes, this has always been a factor for youths, but now, more than ever it seems increasingly apparent), that their ability to branch out and try new authors and books is obstructed by big box stores that all have the same content. The individuality in genres that Underground provides gives the consumer the opportunity they wouldn’t have at a big corporation to browse around the store and find books that they never heard of by authors they didn’t even know existed.

WHAT ROLE DOES SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE?

We, as a society, have often been inclined to spend money on anything we deem worth our patronage. Consumerism has turned into a universal experience and now, more than ever, we have infinitely more exposure to new products due to the rise of social media. Social media influences patrons on a daily basis, which explains the booming popularity of big box stores; if a cool new item is released, everyone will want it and sales will skyrocket. 

Having inspected Barnes and Noble’s Instagram feed, I have found that they are always promoting themselves by providing exclusive insight into what the store offers. This self-advocacy gives everyone who follows them the motivation to buy the newest edition of a book that will soon be sold out. By branding themselves to such a large audience (of over one million followers), they are able to expand their name to the entire internet. On their Instagram page, I noticed that there is never a recurring face promoting their books, there are always new people from different places. While this might provide a broader range of voices and experiences, it does not have the same familiar aspect an independently owned business would have.

While Underground Books’ social media presence is on a smaller scale compared to B&N, they have quite an impressive following for an independent store in small town Georgia. I noticed that on their Instagram, Underground Books also promotes their newest releases as well as hosting pop-up events inside the store for local independent artists to showcase their work. There is such a feeling of community within Underground’s Instagram because of the same familiar faces that appear while doing book reviews or publicizing the store. 

Although these businesses both use social media as a promotional outlet, they do so in very different ways that encompass the predictability of a big box store and a uniqueness of an independent bookstore.  

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

The economics of each of these business models are on two totally different levels. Large corporations like Barnes and Noble suck money out of communities and into their network of rich company owners that live in metropolitan areas like New York City. There is no relationship between a B&N and the area in which they are located. Like I’ve said before, every store offers the same things; what makes them different in each town? How would they build a community connection when there are 50 other stores that are exactly the same all around the country? They simply don’t. 

On the other side of the spectrum, Underground Books is one of the most well- known independent businesses in Carrollton, basically every local knows of it. Because they are not a chain, the profits which Underground Books receives go directly to the owners and the few employees. These earnings operate back into the community because the people who work at Underground all live in the general area and support the town.

Additionally, both of these corporations sell similar books, correct? Well, why is it that Underground Books has a cheaper price (even if it is by a dollar) than Barnes and Noble does? Granted, Underground Books is a used book store, but even so, they still have new releases that are cheaper than that of B&N prices. With this, why would you spend more money on a big box store when you could support your local businesses for a better price?

All of this to say, consumerism has exploded and now that we have more access to gigantic big-box stores, the amount of independent bookstores is diminishing. In order to help lessen the amount of corporations that extract the community’s money, support your local businesses, and see the difference you can make.