Borders

Borders... files Chapter 11.

I know not many will cry the death (?) of another brick & mortar "big box", but it's on my way home from work. Started taking advantage of their 30-40% (and additional 10% reward discount) coupons pretty regularly too. Plus the children's section is pretty extensive for my daughter.

I don't get the "fuck 'em" attitude to actual storefronts closing up. Having a physical location to do my shopping is something I don't want to see wither away. Not to mention businesses closing in your neighborhood is rarely going to be good for the local community.

I always thought Borders was a shitty bookstore. They were never any good. Their prices were much higher than they should have been.

I like Borders for just seeing what's new and occasionally buying a new book (the one here usually has new book and movie releases at a competitive discount). Plus there's a terrifically hot assistant manager there. I would never, ever buy a DVD there, as their prices were always stupidly high. But I liked the store, and I'm bummed we're losing a B&M bookstore, even if it's a chain. I understand the digital revolution is on its way, but I really love holding an actual book, and browsing in the store with actual hard copies is still a soul-soothing activity for me.

It's weird. Borders here in Australia is owned by a completely different company than the chain in the US - but our Borders went into voluntary administration within 24 hours of the US chain filing for chapter 11.

The problem here is, the parent company that's gone under also owns Angus & Robertson book stores, one of the largest Australian chains that's over a hundred years old. This is really not good for Australian publishing and for writers wanting to get a start down under.

I could really kill a lazy afternoon there browsing books, listening to CDs, and reading magazines. I suppose I could go to Costco now and spend the afternoon browsing their books-and-sweatpants section.

Well, one could say that's the main problem. Too many people coming in browsing , using their resources (electricity, WiFi) and handling the merchandise, while not enough people are buying.

I don't know why more people won't frequent their local libraries if all they want to do is lounge and look important while they're on their Macbooks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CocoaSugarbaker 

Well, one could say that's the main problem. Too many people coming in browsing , using their resources (electricity, WiFi) and handling the merchandise, while not enough people are buying.

 

I don't know why more people won't frequent their local libraries if all they want to do is lounge and look important while they're on their Macbooks.

Because libraries are for poor people.

More seriously, libraries don't serve food. And aren't open the kind of hours the big chain bookstores are. And so on.

I love my local library, and go there often. But it's not the same, and for other, harder to define reasons than listed above.

Plus, libraries are closed on Sundays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelM 

More seriously, libraries don't serve food. And aren't open the kind of hours the big chain bookstores are. And so on.

 

I love my local library, and go there often. But it's not the same, and for other, harder to define reasons than listed above.

It's certainly not common, but I there are at least some libraries that serve food/coffee. I know there has been a discussion, whether or not to, say, open a Starbucks inside of a library. 

Also, not all libraries are closed Sundays. Certainly sucks if your local library is not open that day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Matchstick

 

 

Also, not all libraries are closed Sundays. Certainly sucks if your local library is not open that day.

Most local libraries here are open Sundays between Labor Day and Memorial Day - but only from 1 to 5 PM. Bookstores open earlier and close later, and that's true even on weekdays.

But the point is, folks are complaining about Borders closing when they go in and admittedly don't spend any money beyond a $2.00 cup of coffee, while using their resources for hours.

If you (in general) cared about keeping these type of places staying open in your neighborhood, then buy that book that's you've been rifling through for the past hour, instead of going home and ordering it on Amazon.

My immediate local library sucks and is practically bankrupt. Open three days a week for four hours a day now. I don't even bother. But there's another city library about 10 miles away that's pretty awesome, has a coffee cart parked right on the premises, that I frequent often.

A Starbucks or a small, local coffee business inside of a local library is awesome and would do amazing business.

I have always spent a shitload of cash at physical B&N and Borders stores.  Once in a great while, I'll get something on Amazon when a hardcover goes dirt cheap (e.g.  when hardcover Under the Dome went for something like $12.00 on Amazon), but 85% of my book purchases where in stores.  I will miss that greatly.  Browsing will become a lost art, for the most part. 

I don't usually order books alone from Amazon; I usually bundle them in with other media, hence using them: Borders' prices for music and movies are pretty awful. When I've bought single books or hardbacks, I've done it there. Last new hardback I bought was actually purchased at my local Borders.

I'll be sure to consult Cocoa next time I have a few hours to kill so that I don't shut down any more businesses by occupying their space.

I agree about the browsing. I own an ereader, so I'm hardly one to throw stones about purchasing physical books. But the BN is literally right around the corner from my house, so I'm there about 2-3 times per week, browsing and trying to figure out which books I want to download.

I wish Borders had thrown more effort behind ereading technology, and tried to make it more of an interactive experience the way BN does.

Also, we have a Goodwill secondhand bookstore in our neighborhood, and it has a small cafe inside, and they do crazy business. So clearly, food and coffee is the key here.

Don't get pissy about it Egg. You know good and well that they can't sustain themselves when people are coming in, fucking up the merchandise, and not buying shit. Pricing is absolutely a factor here and obviously they can't compete with Amazon, Costco, Walmart, etc. But consumers who basically treat bookstores as libraries have to take a bit of responsibility too.

And not to beat the subject to death, but some asshole's Macbook isn't going to put Barnes and Noble out of business either--it's going to be that brick-and-mortar retailers of media cannot complete with online and digital downloads.

In one month span, I've had a B&N close (kicked out due to land lord for a fucking CVS) and now the Borders down the road is closing.  Both of these stores were really close and I enjoyed the convenience factor. Plus, Borders has some really damn good coupons and discounts..  I've always used ordering on-line for books as a last result, I much prefer going into the store..hell, the last book I bought online was the Making of Empire Strikes Bank and the only reason I did that was because the copies in store were all beat up.

 Funny note, today in my email I received a 30% off from B&N..first time I've seen one of those.

I went to a bankruptcy sale at Borders over the weekend and it was a horrible horrible experience. No only could you not use coupons, (the books were marked down only 20%) but the store was packed beyond belief. People walking around with piles of books in their arms feeling like they received a hell of a sale.

Our Borders turned into a freaking TJ Maxx last month, so I get the rage.

My husband bought me a kick ass, special edition Wonder Woman book for Valentine's Day from Amazon, and it wasn't even discounted or anything. I loved it, but I asked him in the future, if he can purchase these type of books from brick and mortar stores. If Amazon doesn't sell a ton of books, they have other merchandise they can fall back on. Borders, Barnes and Noble, and comic books stores don't.

I suppose at this point, every little bit counts. I hear a lot of analysts comparing Borders to K-Mart and their trip down bankruptcy lane, but I don't see Borders bouncing back from this. BN still has a shot at success though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick 

In one month span, I've had a B&N close (kicked out due to land lord for a fucking CVS) and now the Borders down the road is closing.  Both of these stores were really close and I enjoyed the convenience factor. Plus, Borders has some really damn good coupons and discounts..  I've always used ordering on-line for books as a last result, I much prefer going into the store..hell, the last book I bought online was the Making of Empire Strikes Bank and the only reason I did that was because the copies in store were all beat up.

 

 Funny note, today in my email I received a 30% off from B&N..first time I've seen one of those.

 

I went to a bankruptcy sale at Borders over the weekend and it was a horrible horrible experience. No only could you not use coupons, (the books were marked down only 20%) but the store was packed beyond belief. People walking around with piles of books in their arms feeling like they received a hell of a sale.

You must live near me, Moon!  I was a frequent visitor of the B&N in Encino and was truly bummed to see it go. 

I was also in two different Border's this weekend, and both stores looked like a swarm of Tasmanian Devils blew through the place.   I think a lot of folks just tore ass through the shelves without regard for neatness just because it was "closing down".   It made me think of all those westerns where the gunfighter is shot and a slew of people would strip his body while he lay bleeding to death.