Thursday, October 06, 2011
A bookstore employee's lament
Entertainment Weekly recently posted a photo taken at a former Borders store of an employee's list of grievances:  Bits of it are funny, and there are elements I agree with (mostly the ones about returning used books and leaving kids unattended in the children's section), but mostly this just depressed me. Look, anonymous bookstore employee: I feel for you. I've worked in a big chain bookstore, and I've dealt with obnoxious customers, but people who don't know exactly what they're looking for are the ones who keep brick-and-mortar stores open. They wander in, they ask for help, they poke around for forty-five minutes, they buy cups of coffee and overpriced scones, and they eventually walk out the doors having spent thirty dollars more than they meant to. People who do know what they want shop online, armed with 30% off coupons and free shipping. You should be grateful to all those dithering shoppers with their "quick questions" and required-reading lists—they did their part to keep your store open. Labels: Borders
Monday, September 12, 2011
A lack of options
 There's an article in PW about the effect the death of Borders has had on Barnes and Noble. According to their CFO, B&N estimates it has picked up $18 million in business in the last quarter from former Borders customers, and they're anticipating a great holiday sales season. Labels: Barnes and Noble, Booksellers, Borders
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Picking over the remains
 Last weekend, while hunting for a particular book for my brother's birthday, I ventured into a Borders store. I usually avoid stores that are closing (they make me feel like a vulture), but I'd already struck out at both my local independent bookseller and the nearest chain bookstore, so Borders was my last resort. They failed me, too, when it came to the book I was searching for, but they still have TONS of books on their shelves, most marked 40 to 60% off. I managed to restrain myself to picking up the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition of Austen's Persuasion, but I might go back later and buy some of the books I've been coveting for a while, like the tattoo-art-style edition of Bridget Jones's Diary.
Anyway, if my Borders is indicative of the chain as a whole, now might be a good time for budget-minded shoppers to get jump-started on their holiday gift buying. The shopping experience is totally depressing, but the books are cheap and plentiful.
Labels: Borders, Economy of Doom
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
For whom the bell tolls
 Well, Borders is officially toast: the troubled bookseller has confirmed it will liquidate its assets. If everything goes as planned, going-out-of-business sales will begin this Friday and continue until the end of September. Labels: Borders, Economy of Doom
Monday, May 16, 2011
Borders trying the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach?
 Publishers Weekly has done another post on the rumors surrounding the current state of the troubled Borders chain. According to their most recent information, some of the bookstores may be sold (possibly to Barnes and Noble), they'll be offering a $79.99 Kobo e-reader within the next few months, and there are plans to expand the chain's non-book items, including spa, gift, and stationery goods. I will own myself straight-up amazed if there's enough money in cutesy pens and overpriced soy candles to support a chain as large as Borders, but any little bit helps, I suppose... Labels: Borders, Economy of Doom
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Why, Borders? Why?
 According to this article (from the business section of The New York Times), the Borders Group is planning to install two flat-screen TVs per bookstore, allowing them to broadcast "original programming, advertisements, news and weather". Wow, thank you, Borders! I'm sure your original programming will be absolutely fascinating*, and c'mon: who could possibly get enough advertisements? Sure, we can already see 'em everywhere from airports to movie theaters, but I bet watching a commercial for the next episode of Lost or Geico insurance will really enrich my book-buying experience. *Five bucks says it will consist of mind-numbing interviews with authors trying to find something diplomatic to say about the terrible film adaptation of their books. Labels: Bookstores, Borders
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