Bookstore meets demise too hastily
Hastings at 45th and Teckla in Amarillo advertises going-out-of-business sales. All Hastings stores nationwide will close permanently Oct. 31.
While Mom shopped for groceries, my brother and I were at Hastings, catching up on the latest games and Garfield comic books. When I walked in and smelled the books and coffee, I felt relaxed with nothing but myself and books. Occasionally, my mom would join me and buy us hot chocolates. Then, we would sip on the warm, delightful beverage for a while.
In November 2013, the Canyon community was rocked by the closing of Hastings, which sat next to United Supermarkets for about 10 years.
— Evan Walton, 12
In November 2013, the Canyon community was rocked by the closing of Hastings, which sat next to United Supermarkets for about 10 years. The store sold video games, DVDs, books and a wide variety of random gadgets.
My favorite part about going to the grocery store was getting to go to Hastings. I had no money to buy anything, but there was so much to see. I could spend hours in there. Hastings was always the place to go when I wanted to rent games, movies, buy books or get a hot chocolate. Upon pulling the doors open, the distinct smell hits. No other place in the world smells like Hastings, except for another Hastings store. The green and yellow accented stores were easy to browse, and the prices were never too high.
As the smartphones, tablets and Redbox began to take over the market, Hastings lost revenue. The company lost $10.9 million in 2014, and in 2015 losses were nearly $16.6 million. The company’s overall revenue dropped from $420 million in 2014 to $401 million in 2015. After months of losing millions of dollars, Hastings began to recognize their struggle. On June 13, 2016, the inevitable happened. Hastings Entertainment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced they would begin the liquidation of all assets. It was the beginning of the end for Hastings, which has been headquartered in Amarillo since 1968.
When I heard this news, I was devastated, to say the least. The store I grew up with was on track to completely disappear from the retail market. Hastings was part of my childhood. All the Garfield comic books I ever owned were bought at Hastings. It has been hard to see Hastings follow a similar fate to other beloved entertainment chains, such as Blockbuster and Circuit City.
When Hastings was bought by Draw Another Circle, the company’s fate was sealed. Hastings, MovieStop and SP Images were all subsidiaries of Draw Another Circle, LLC. MovieStop, Hastings’ movie retailer, was in liquidation. Hastings was essentially bought by a failing company.
Hastings will continue massive liquidation sales through Oct. 31. By Nov. 1, all Hastings stores nationwide will be gone forever, and an era of entertainment will simply vanish.
Hi! My name is Evan Walton, and I am stoked to write for The Eagle's Tale for my second year. I am a senior this year, and would like to study meteorology after high school. Most of my time is spent swimming, listening to music and writing. I have a burning...
