I have a Borders next to my work that is on the list of stores closing. I loved going in on my lunch hour and randomly finding a new book to read. That sort of browsing experience really can't be duplicated online.
They aren't closing the one above Penn Station in New York? That one has to have the highest rent out there and the only time I ever saw it really busy was around the holidays.
Anyway, I can't say I'm surprised about this. E-readers and online purchasing are driving the brick and mortar bookstores away. I liked Borders more than other places as well. One of the NJ closures is right next to where I got my hair cut and I would always stop in to browse or pick something up.
Edit: Oops. Found the Penn Station one there. Yup, that one is going too.
The list initially gives me the impression they're abandoning the small mall footprint and focusing on their big box stores.
The only reason I've gone into Border's in recent years was because a Blu-ray I wanted that had gone out of print showed up as being in stock at the local store, and I couldn't find it anywhere else. (They actually had it too, but I paid about $10 more for it than I would have through Amazon if they still had it.)
We lost of our downtown Barnes & Noble and Borders (which were across the street from one another) on January 1st.The Borders that closed was a three story MONSTER of a store. There's still a Borders near the university (which, when it opened, made no sense given the proximity to the downtown store), but that's rumored to be on the chopping block as well.
It's interesting to see what's become of both Borders and Blockbuster given the thrashing they laid on the independent stores 15 years ago. I love that story of Blockbuster execs laughing when the Netflix folks approached them about a partnership.
None near me which is good for the area, bad for my consumerism. I am thinking a lot of the store closings are either in cities with a diminishing population ie profit or ones where there is a borders 10 to 20 miles away. Seems more like cutting the fat then anything else. I am sure rent has a lot to do with it, too.
They're closing the one by me. Not surprising, since a big shiny B&N opened a block away 2 1/2 years ago, and I don't think I've been back to Borders since.
I never liked how they wouldn't allow their coupons to be used on comic trades and graphic novels.
The last Borders-related news I heard was back in like November or so when I learned the proposed new Borders here in NYC at 103rd & Columbus was no longer happening, and that they were also closing another already-existing Borders on the Upper West Side (or maybe it was the Upper East Side?). Didn't seem like too huge a deal to me since there is a Borders or Barnes & Noble every few blocks here, but maybe it was a sign of things to come? Either way, kinda sad to hear.
In 2005, a brand new shopping center had opened here with the three anchor stores being Borders, Linens n' Things, and Circuit City. That place was doomed from the start.
(edited by The King of Keith on 16.2.11 1712) Am I in Horseville? Because I'm hearing nothing but naysayers!
Originally posted by The King of KeithIn 2005, a brand new shopping center had opened here with the three anchor stores being Borders, Linens n' Things, and Circuit City. That place was doomed from the start.
(edited by The King of Keith on 16.2.11 1712)
Out of curiosity (being an avid fan of retail history and the like), what mall is this...and what replaced the anchors?
I wonder if, up here in Canada, the Chapters/Indigo/Coles stores will be hit the same way. A little research would suggest that a Borders store has the same business model as a Chapters or Indigo store here.
Originally posted by odessasteps As an admittedly biased former Borders manager, sad to see, but only a matter of time.
But when your model allows people to sit around on comfy couches and read the books instead of buying them, you are asking for trouble.
That is something that always intrigued me. In the Netherlands, if they see you reading a book in the store someone will come over and address it.
In the US, at both B&N and Borders, it seems like they actually encourage you to read things there. Most amusing is when you walk past the comics/manga section and there's piles of kids sitting there. Hell, I've even seen people do it at comic book stores like Midtown.
Shame to see an Ann Arbor institution suffer like this but, as has been pointed out, the proliferation of e-readers and online retailers seems to have made this an inevitability. At least the flagship store in town will remain open.
Originally posted by dMpIn the US, at both B&N and Borders, it seems like they actually encourage you to read things there. Most amusing is when you walk past the comics/manga section and there's piles of kids sitting there. Hell, I've even seen people do it at comic book stores like Midtown.
Is there a benefit to this model?
The Japanese mankitsu (manga cafe) works pretty well where it's like that, but with enough chairs for everyone and a small hourly fee to read away. I'd like that in America because I don't need any more books in my apartment but I'm not sure it would work.
Let's hope it's Hulk vs. Thor, as Sentry is a little too "new Marvel" for my tastes. The art was great, and did not seem as rushed as it did in the first issue. I always wondered how much of a beating the rubbery Reed could take.