I loved going there and just hanging out browsing books on boring Sunday afternoons and then buying the books I came across which really piqued my interest off of Amazon. Truly, that place was a comfort and I'll miss it.
Wonder how good their liquidation sale will be. Posts: 668 | Registered: Aug 2010
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I work in a bookstore and there's always been a healthy level of competition between all the stores, indie or mega. But its still really heart-breaking to imagine 10,000 book-lovers losing their job and livelihoods. Neighborhood bookstores aren't just a place for buying books. They are places which host author signings, children's storytimes, and bookfairs for local schools. They're also just awesome places to hang out in on a rainy day. These are things that Amazon will never be able to replace for me. Nothing for me replaces that amazing feeling when a bookstore employee recognizes the book that you're buying and the two of you spend twenty minutes talking about Neil Gaiman and graphic novels and Joseph Campbell and why everyone should hate James Patterson.
The liquidation will be stupid the first few weeks. I remember when our local Borders closed, all of my friends came to me with hilarious stories of customers fighting over dvds marked 20% off when two weeks prior, there had been several 40% coupons going out. Be prepared for the glares from employees. "Bottom-feeders" has become the popular term for non-regular customers who descend on a store during liquidation.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I was so sad when Borders went bust in the UK.
During my university years, Borders in the center of the city was my favourite place to hang around on rainy afternoons (of which there were many) - I spent all my spare money on books. It was such a lovely bookshop. It had books that weren't available anywhere else - or sometimes weren't even published yet in the country.
It'll reduce reading. People who don't read much sometimes wander into a bookshop with their friends and buy something interesting to read. They're much more unlikely to wander onto Amazon by chance.
Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
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When Borders started closing some stores, I looked at who they were owned by, and figured that complete liquidation wasn't very far away.
They have been getting progressively worse for a decade or so. More or less every decision they've made since "let's add cafes like our competition" has been fairly terrible.
Not that I minded having a Seattle's Best in the Borders right next to the 29th street cinema for the short time they lasted there, but ..
Ah, well. I do actually like B&N but I would also not be surprised if it joins the rest of the booksellers. Sorry everybody, e-readers and digital media turn out to be a great way to kill books!
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I love books, but I've set foot inside a book store only a handful of times in the last 10 years. They've never given me much of value that online retailers like Amazon don't give me more of. I was never one to hang around and loiter in the stores, and I never looked for book advice from the salespersons.
I know that brick-and-mortar book stores are near and dear to many people's heart, but having them disappear will hardly effect me at all.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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It's also probably better from an environmental perspective to close big-box stores.
Unfortunately, my home of Ann Arbor, MI was the Borders HQ. I have a feeling we're going to take a bit of a hit from this.
Posts: 4600 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Almost all of the books I've purchased in my adult life have been from online vendors. I can always find what I'm looking for and I get quick shipping, even to Hawaii. When buying books as gifts (probably 90% of my book purchases) I can have them delivered directly to the recipient, rather than me having to make an extra trip to the post office.
It's sad that so many businesses are going under due to inability to compete with the internet(video rentals, music stores, travel agents & newspapers come to mind, but I'm sure there are others) but that's always the case with new technologies.
If something is more convenient, more efficient and less expensive than its competitors, I'm not going to apologize for taking advantage of it.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Unfortunately, my home of Ann Arbor, MI was the Borders HQ. I have a feeling we're going to take a bit of a hit from this.
The home store, or the original one was owned by my great grandfather. His store was a popular bookstore that was bought out by another local who wanted to get into business. He then bought a few more stores there in Ann Arbor and ended up expanding it into the Borders chain. There was some more changing hands and various deals before it reached its peak but I always thought it was neat that my family owned the first Borders store. I'm not sure why anyone on the forum would be interested but since this is pretty much my last chance to share that anecdote I took advantage.
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I could be wrong with this thought but I'll post it anyway. I think that Borders really went wrong when they picked up and sold the Sony E-Reader. This was supposed to be there version of Kindle or Nook. The Sony e-reader was really hard to use ( I know because I have one). Plus the Soney e-reader store had nothing that I would buy.
In contrast Barnes & Noble developed an e-reader that was usable with their own website. Boards did not. I think that really hurt them in the long run.
After a while you could not even find those e-readers selling anymore.
For my final thought, I will most likely shred my Borders rewards card. I never got anything with it anyway. I will get a Barns & Noble card. They have a store closer to where I live.
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I still routinely shop at stores for, rare, out of print, or second hand books, Half Priced Books, and The Book and Music Exchange being my favorite. These places are doing very well, as are a few small local book shops I know of in Louisville, KY and one in Bloomington, so I'm not sure that all books are dying, or if it is just one formerly successful company going under. Also B&N is partnered up with Amazon (a deal Borders passed on years ago by the way) so they may last a while at least.
Posts: 2332 | Registered: Jul 2003
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I feel sorry for the employees, but don't care about the store itself. I enjoyed going in there, but rarely bought anything unless I had the 40% off coupon they sent out sometimes.
They closed down independent stores, now they are suffering the same fate.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I loved the B&N where I grew up. The problem in my opinion of these big bookstores is their seemingly lack of quality assessment of their selection. Quantity doesn't make up for having to weed though a dozen poorly written destined-for-clearance books to find something good.
Posts: 1261 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Marek, what is B&N's partnership with Amazon? I know they have some deals with Google and AT&T but haven't heard anything about Amazon. Kindle and Nook are direct competition.
Amazon did take over Border's website in the last few months. Not sure who at Borders thought THAT was a good idea.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Amazon *stopped* taking over Borders website a few months ago; they had a Borders-branded Amazon as the online store before that.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Unfortunately, my home of Ann Arbor, MI was the Borders HQ. I have a feeling we're going to take a bit of a hit from this.
The home store, or the original one was owned by my great grandfather. His store was a popular bookstore that was bought out by another local who wanted to get into business. He then bought a few more stores there in Ann Arbor and ended up expanding it into the Borders chain. There was some more changing hands and various deals before it reached its peak but I always thought it was neat that my family owned the first Borders store. I'm not sure why anyone on the forum would be interested but since this is pretty much my last chance to share that anecdote I took advantage.
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