Computer books

[James McIntosh]

Regarding Toronto Computer Books, and its parent company, Canada Computer
Books: ---

Canada Computer Books faced more problems than competition from !ndigo and
Chapters.

Their North York Computer Books store was on the second floor of the
Sheppard Centre.

The Sheppard Centre spent a long time doing massive renovation of the
second floor.

It hasn't accomplished anything noticeable, but made shopping on the second
floor ridiculously difficult for many months, possibly a year.

Faced with near-zero sales, but also a lease, and promises that things
would eventually be back to normal, North York Computer Books stayed on for
many months.

They eventually moved out, to a location on the west side of Yonge Street,
a few blocks north of the North York Civic Centre.

The Sheppard Centre location was by a T.T.C. station, and at the
intersection of 2 major T.T.C. routes.

That new location was neither, as had been the Sheppard Centre location.

There was very little traffic to that new location.

There were significant numbers of people who were homeless, or on welfare
in the neighbourhood.

Bill Gates, with 40 billion $US, was well-publicized, and some of the poor
were reminded of the super-rich billionares of the I.T. industry whenever
they saw computer books, and considered the bookstore to cater to
billionaires of his ilk.

Occasionally, someone would attack the store, smashing the large
plate-glass windows, and possibly stealing something inside. 

The glass windows could not prevent smash-ins by smash-and-grab
specialists, or by envious, embittered poor people.

Even large plate glass windows are expensive to replace, let alone the
books inside which could be stolen.

That location was also too much of a drain on Canada Computer Books, and it
was closed.

Both of the locations of North York Computer Books were significant cash
drains on the company, and were a significant influence on the company's
path toward going out of business.

Competition from !ndigo and Chapters was important, but not the sole cause
of their demise.

Jim McIntosh   <jemcinto-cpI+UMyWUv+w5LPnMra/2Q at public.gmane.org>
---

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