BERIGAN Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 I know a few folks here(Ghost for one) also worked for them...just sad to me. At one time, it was the best overall book store around, no one could touch the sheer number of titles, and for a chain, just crazy, obscure titles...I mean really, we carried a book on how to make your own coffin! Is that ever going to be available on an e-reader??? and is that why Borders is in such trouble??? Late to the digital book world??? (They were late to the internet, wanting to get it just right, and we all know how that worked out.... Borders Here is the list of store closings http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110216-708363.html Quote
Dave James Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) At one time many years ago, and outside of Powell's, the Borders I frequented in downtown Portland was the place to go for books and, sometimes, even for music. Huge selection and, as Berigan says, some pretty obscure and interesting titles. This is the classic case of a successful business resting on its laurels and turning a blind eye as they steered past the signs warning them of the sea changes underway in their industry. Late to the dance on the internet, eBooks, eReaders, you name it. Ultimately, they paid the highest possible price, that of irrelevance. Edited February 16, 2011 by Dave James Quote
Head Man Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 At one time many years ago, and outside of Powell's, the Borders I frequented in downtown Portland was the place to go for books and, sometimes, even for music. Huge selection and, as Berigan says, some pretty obscure and interesting titles. This is the classic case of a successful business resting on its laurels and turning a blind eye as they steered past the signs warning them of the sea changes underway in their industry. Late to the dance on the internet, eBooks, eReaders, you name it. Ultimately, they paid the highest possible price, that of irrelevance. My local Borders in the UK closed last year. Way back when, they had an excellent music department but you could see them going downhill many years ago. I still remember visiting Borders in San Francisco on a US holiday in the early 90s and being amazed by the number of jazz CDs they had in stock. I spent a fortune and had great trouble meeting my weight allowance on luggage on the flight back! Quote
alankin Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 The WSJ article isn't available publicly, but here's a link to a sortable list of all the stores being closed: http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_borders0216_20110216.html Thankfully the two Borders in my area are spared for now. (Although they closed the Borders in my old neighborhood last year.) Quote
sidewinder Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 It was the one store within 50 miles of me where you had a good chance of picking up a 'Jazz Journal'. Sadly, now long gone (Bournmouth). Quote
Alexander Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 I worked at Borders for about a year, after I was laid off from my last teaching job (currently working as a TA, but at least I'm in a classroom and working with kids again). I knew the handwriting was on the wall for Borders and that it was only a matter of time. Mainly because a friend of mine told me, "My brother-in-law has just been made CFO of Borders...and he only comes in when a company is planning of filing for bankruptcy. Get another job, pronto!" I read an article last year that said that Borders was on its way out, largely due to the fact that 1) it has lost the online war with Amazon and 2) it has lost the brick and mortar war with B&N. Shortly before I left, I noticed a marked increase in the stress level of the store's management. That only happens when THEY notice the increased stress from THEIR superiors. And that happens when THEY notice that THEIR bosses are worried. Etc, etc. Quote
medjuck Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 At one time many years ago, and outside of Powell's, the Borders I frequented in downtown Portland was the place to go for books and, sometimes, even for music. Huge selection and, as Berigan says, some pretty obscure and interesting titles. This is the classic case of a successful business resting on its laurels and turning a blind eye as they steered past the signs warning them of the sea changes underway in their industry. Late to the dance on the internet, eBooks, eReaders, you name it. Ultimately, they paid the highest possible price, that of irrelevance. In the late '90s I spent a couple of months on Kauai. There was a large Borders that was the center of culture for the island. People held meetings there. I would go there, order an iced coffee and then spend hours looking through books and cds. Quote
Adam Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 It looks like they are closing pretty much every one in Southern California. Quote
Face of the Bass Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 There was a really nice Borders in Albany where I live that had a wide selection of jazz CDs and box sets for years. Then they gutted it, closed it down, and reopened it in a mall with half the selection of books and no music whatsoever. With the condition the Borders around me are in now, it would be no loss if they all closed. I have no reason to go to them anymore. Quote
BruceH Posted February 16, 2011 Report Posted February 16, 2011 The other shoe finally drops. I've been waiting for this for years now, the signs have all been there. Still, sad, because I always thought they were better than Barnes & Noble. Quote
JSngry Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 With the condition the Borders around me are in now, it would be no loss if they all closed. I have no reason to go to them anymore. Yeah, I love it how the decisions get made that figure the best way to make money is to stop catering to people you know you can sell stuff to. Quote
Brad Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 Since late last year, they haven't been getting that many books in because they can't pay the publishers and the deal they offered was rejected by them. Hopefully, the reorg case will allow the books to be stocked again. Quote
Ken Dryden Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 I bet they don't honor the gift card I have... Quote
Dan Gould Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 I'll bet $10 they do honor it, provided that you use it sometime reasonably soon. I see that the Fort Lauderdale store is going bye-bye; when I moved here in '97 that store had a huge selection of jazz and was jam packed all the time. But I stopped going a long time ago. What's really distressing is that my Mom, who has had more time on her hands for reading and basically buys a book with every coupon that comes to her email, is losing not only the store in town, but the next closes one too. If she's heard I am sure she's depressed, if she hasn't I don't want to ruin her day. And even though she's probably computer literate enough to buy online, she really enjoyed browsing the history/politics section, and was also using the coupons to try to find books my father, who is rapidly losing his mind, would enjoy. Quote
GregK Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 I've always known Borders more as a music store than as a book store, even though any time I was ever looking for a book, they had it (same goes for CDs, actually). When I moved to Ann Arbor in Y2K, the flagship store had 2/3 of the second floor devoted to music, with a dedicated staff running the section. You actually paid for your CDs upstairs in that section! Seems so long ago. It changed not long after, maybe in mid-2001, when you could go down to the regular check out to pay, and the music staff was no longer there full-time, but still the selection was pretty deep. They are closing the second best Ann Arbor store, the one in the Arborland mall, the only one actually with any decent music selection left. Figures. If they attempt to come back as strictly a bookseller and ditch music altogether, how do they hope to survive? Are enough people buying music or books in physical form for both chains to keep surviving? Quote
ejp626 Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 I bet they don't honor the gift card I have... I've been worried about that for a while. I have two $20 cards, and I have been trying desperately to find them for a couple of weeks, but to no avail. Quote
BERIGAN Posted February 17, 2011 Author Report Posted February 17, 2011 I bet they don't honor the gift card I have... I've been worried about that for a while. I have two $20 cards, and I have been trying desperately to find them for a couple of weeks, but to no avail. Any way you might still have the original receipt??? Perhaps, only perhaps a credit card statement might work as well...but it won't have the Gift card number...it's been since 1999 since I worked at a store, but there is may be a way via the statement to find out what the trans number was, and find out if it's been used or not... from their site... What happens if I lose the gift card or it's stolen? Lost, stolen, or damaged gift cards may be canceled and replaced with a new gift card in the amount of the then-remaining balance upon proof as required by Borders, Waldenbooks, or Brentano's. Quote
PHILLYQ Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 Looks like every store in NYC is closing... Quote
kenny weir Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 Different company, but Borders in Oz also belly up. Quote
GA Russell Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 I think that Borders is a case of mismanagement, but Barnes & Noble has big problems too. The days of the book superstore may be over, as it seems that people would prefer to wait a few days and save money by buying from Amazon. Quote
Brad Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 Looks like every store in NYC is closing... I think the one by the Garden is staying open. Quote
Quincy Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 Oregon isn't losing a single store. I've always had mixed feelings about Border's (and B&N, and Amazon) as they helped kill off a wonderful local independent store that was just a few blocks from where I live. Or rather, the wider selection and coupons & cheaper prices enticed me and plenty of others to buy from them instead of the locally owned store. Darn them! Foolishly 2 young former employees of that store opened a smaller store even closer to me and it closed after 2 years. As we have a great used books scene (so much so that Portland's Powell's failed in their attempt to open a local store) and still have 2 good independent record shops I've mostly used Borders as an excellent magazine rack and a place to go for the few days in summer when the temperatures get above 95. Unless I haven't planned gift shopping well I only buy a book or rarely a CD there w/ a 40% or greater coupon. What goes around comes around, as I have no warm fuzzies with the store, it's just always been about price, so most of the time Amazon beats them. Quote
Dmitry Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) The best Borders store in New York [which means the best Borders in the world] was in the World Trade Center. They carried a selection of jazz cds that didn't rival Tower [no stores did], but was quite huge. Regarding the megastores killing the independents, it wasn't the megastores, it was us, the consumers. If you/I would buy from the independents, they would still be around. One doesn't have to be a brain surgeon, to figure that one out.. Edited February 17, 2011 by Dmitry Quote
paul secor Posted February 17, 2011 Report Posted February 17, 2011 The local Borders store is closing. Feel sorry for the people who worked there, but I won't miss it. I have a good friend who owns a local independent book store, so perhaps this will help his store. Quote
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