# Borders deathwatch - latest news



## Will Write for Gruel (Oct 16, 2010)

They are seeking the bankruptcy court's permission to close another 51 stores if they cannot extend the lease with the landlords. Some of these are highly profitable stores for them. 


> Bankrupt Borders Group Inc. said it may have to close up to 51 more stores -- including some of its most successful -- as the shrinking bookstore chain struggles to avoid defaulting on a bankruptcy loan.
> 
> In court papers filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, the company asked permission to liquidate the stores in case it cannot extend deadlines for negotiating with its landlords.
> 
> *The closures would reduce the number of Borders stores to about 350, from the 642 it had when it filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.*


Man, that's a lot of bookstores gone. If you're a big 6 publisher, how many copies of a book were you selling in those stores that have closed?

http://tinyurl.com/3zq5d9k


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

That THIS, ForeverJuly!  LOL


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2011)

Well done, Craig! Nice work!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I find it strange to go into a Borders these days.  Like watching something slowly dying.  You go into one and it feels nearly empty.  Then, just a couple weeks ago, I was at the one in Naperville, IL and it was jammed with people, full of books (including some of mine, which is still cool) and looked like nothing was wrong.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I was just in the Oak Brook, IL store this morning.  Looked OK.  I'd be sick if it closed.


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## Will Write for Gruel (Oct 16, 2010)

Some will survive, though they may reopen under a different name. B&N bid on about 10 stores. 

There are a couple of potential buyers lined up for the remaining stores. It comes down to the creditors being ok with the deal or deciding to liquidate, or something like that. It's in bankruptcy court so Borders doesn't really control its own destiny anymore. 

Either way, the stores that are already closed probably aren't coming back, and it's likely that some of the remaining stores will also close. 

And the future of bookstores in general is up in the air. In the next year or two it's likely that the majority of books sold will be ebooks. As more bookstores close it may not shift readers to remaining bookstores. It may shift them to ebooks or to ordering their books online from Amazon.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I was in Borders at Columbus Circle today.  As usual, I didn't buy anything, but it wasn't empty by any means.  They didn't have any new Kobo demo models.  They have the earlier (2nd) one.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Noooo, don't take my Borders away.  I help to keep them going.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Borders will be either sold or begin liquidation not later that July 29.


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

Sad, but inevitable.


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## scl (Feb 19, 2011)

Time to use those gift cards sitting in your wallet while they're still good!


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Publishers Weekly: Borders Closer to Folding


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2011)

Yesterday I needed to get out of the house and didn't want to do Starbucks because too many people come up to chat and I get nothing done.

So I went to the local Borders for the first time in 6 months... and it had been 6 months before that last time.

Three employees were discussing just this... and it dawned on me why.

The reason I stopped going?  While they cheerfully pimp nine million different ereaders, none particularly decent, they sell fewer books every time I look around.  Prior to me getting my Kindle I was dropping around 50 bucks a week in either Borders or BN.  I switched to just BN and lowered my weekly total to around 30 bucks a week.  (Magazines, cafe items, even a rare book purchase now.)

The wifi has not worked for a year.  It boots everyone after a few minutes and often won't allow anyone to connect.  People use their own wifi or steal from one of the other signals.  They push the new "paid" version of their rewards card... which is useless.  They market crap nobody wants and never have what anyone does.

No, I do not feel even a tiny bit bad to see them go.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm feeling sick about my local Borders possibly (probably ) closing (Oak Brook, IL).  Since Borders Rewards started, I've been there pretty regularly twice a week with my coupons.  I buy coffee table type books (any books not well suited to Kindle) on whatever subject strikes my fancy.  Just browsing, I've found many books that I just love.  I will be so sad and feel lost without that store.  There's a B&N couple blocks away.  B&N is NOT for me.


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## Selah March (Jul 15, 2011)

Since our local Borders closed, I'm spending my entire book budget at Amazon. Sad for Borders and other bricks and mortar shops, good for Amazon, I guess. 

Still, I miss that store.


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## B. Justin Shier (Apr 1, 2011)

Time of death: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:22pm EDT

RIP, Borders.
_
(Reuters) - Borders Group Inc, the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain, said it has canceled an upcoming bankruptcy auction and will close its doors for good.

The company said in a statement Monday it was unable to find a buyer willing to keep the company in operation and will sell itself to a group of liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources.

Borders' roughly 400 remaining stores will close, and nearly 11,000 jobs will be lost, according to the company._

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/18/us-borders-liquidation-idUSTRE76H0BH20110718


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Goodbye, farewell, auf weidersehn (?) boo hoo.  I'll miss you.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

B. Justin Shier said:


> Time of death: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:22pm EDT
> 
> RIP, Borders.
> _
> ...


_

*BORDERS est kaput!*

Mild sadness... but hard to feel too much of a sense of loss; I've become almost exclusively an eBook junkie over the past year._


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Noooo!

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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

B. Justin Shier said:


> ...nearly 11,000 jobs will be lost, according to the company.[/i]


Sad news indeed. Not a time to begin job hunting.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Borders here closed long ago, still sad.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Two articles from today's Publishers Weekly:

Bookselling Without Borders

Jockeying for Tomorrow's Borders Hearing


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

It's interesting that someone mentioned wi-fi at Borders. I could never get the wi-fi at the now-defunct Borders near me to work. When I walked a little further to B&N, there was no problem.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Same here. It takes we forever to download the terms and conditions page

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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

R. Reed said:


> It's interesting that someone mentioned wi-fi at Borders. I could never get the wi-fi at the now-defunct Borders near me to work. When I walked a little further to B&N, there was no problem.


I never had a problem with wi-fi at Borders.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Another take on the Death-of-Borders effect:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304567604576456430727129532.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Interesting to note, with the drop in physical book sales:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/adult-paperback-sales-down-17-9-this-year_b34799


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

I never felt comfortable in Borders stores. The personnel weren't helpful or friendly, and that cut across most Border stores in the southeast. I heard someone say it was the culture, and maybe that's it. 
STILL, I hate to see any bookstore go under, even the chains.
I love indies. I have more success at selling my books in independent stores than big-city boxes. Indy owners take the time with local authors - wine and cheese signings where allowed, etc. - while Big Boxes want the superstars (but complain about their behavior when they're gone :-D)
So sorry about Borders, but maybe this is the emergence of the independent bookseller. I hope so.

All that said, I love selling on Kindle, but deep down, I'm not wild about book signings.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Borders is the only book store in my neighborhood (Columbus Circle, NYC).  I go in now and then to browse but rarely find anything to buy, even though I print and carry around their coupons.  The store here is very disorganized.  Sorry to see it close, but I wish B&N would take over the space.  It's probably too expensive -- Time Warner building.  B&N closed the nearest store near Lincoln Center in January, so I hardly ever go to their stores.  They always had a better layout and organization for browsing books than Borders here.


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## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

I received emails from Borders this morning announcing the beginning of their liquidation sale has begun (our local one was not closed the first round) with everything 40% off & last chance to use up Borders Bucks and gift cards.  

Once they're gone, the nearest decent book store (big enough for extended hours of browsing) is over an hour away.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I was running errands today so decided to pop into Borders as I was passing. . . .the cafe is closed -- tables and couches gone; remainder bins set up.  There were a ton of people and the line to buy was at least a half hour long. . . all registers running.  They still had quite a good selection of all kinds of books and music. . . .plus stationary, book related games, etc. Still had Kobo readers for sale as well. . . . .


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

No book seller can survive without e-Books. Borders was too late.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

Well maybe I will pop in to see what's in the discounted bins.  But I have to admit I've been part of the problem.  The last time I was in borders, I bought a discworld book on my kindle.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

JUst got back from borders. Bluray was just about the only thing that was 40 percent off. Books were 10 off. Manga was 20. Biographies were 20. Notebooks and stationary was 10 (was these for moleskin notebooks). DVDs were 20. (Though their DVDs were always over priced. One season of Doctor Who was 79.99....20 percent off would only take off 16 bucks.)

It was the first time I never got  front row parking. Parking was crazy and aggressive. I did see two young ladies with their piles of books and were comparing prices on the kindle 2 they had. Overall the only book I was looking for wasn't there (though the rest of the series was). Talking to a couple outside 10 still wasn't enough to stand in that line. 



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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

I wandered into Borders today, and was very sad to see the cafe where I wrote a good chunk of 3 different books looking like this:










Even the restrooms are closed...which kind of blows for the people there to shop the closing sale. And there were a lot of people there...










This line went across the entire front of the store and wrapped around to the cafe in the back, and it's not a small store. I had to wonder why...almost everything is only at a 10% discount, which means they're paying more for those "on sale" items than they would have yesterday when most of the books were sold at a 20-40% discount and most of the trade paperbacks were Buy-2-Get-1-Half-Off. The only things at 40% I could find were some greeting cards, and there was a 20% off label on some DVDs.

I'll go back later when the sales are better, even though the selection will be horrible. It wasn't worth it for 10%.

But man, I loved that Borders.

No idea where I'll go now to write when I can't stand to work at home...


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## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

valleycat1 said:


> I received emails from Borders this morning announcing the beginning of their liquidation sale has begun (our local one was not closed the first round) with everything 40% off & last chance to use up Borders Bucks and gift cards.
> 
> Once they're gone, the nearest decent book store (big enough for extended hours of browsing) is over an hour away.


Same here. We only have a Borders Express in our small town--purely books, no DVDs, music, or cafe. But once it closes the nearest book store will be about 50 miles away. I have no particular love for the Borders brand, but it is very sad that our only book store is closing. I'm hoping it will reopen with another name. It's already been Waldenbooks and BDalton in past years. *shrug*


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## Pinworms (Oct 20, 2010)

I was at a Borders near my house on the very last day it was open.  If all the remaining books were consolidated, it would fit on one bookshelf.  I thought it was interesting imagining what it would feel like if I was an author of one of those last remaining books, where they were basically giving the book away and there are no takers.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I visited a Borders on Friday night and very little was 40% off.  Magazine were and a few sections at 30%, but most was 10 to 20%.  That will go up in a few weeks, but nothing to tempt me at those prices.


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## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

I had the same experience as Thumper.  The store was a madhouse, with a lot of people who were just wandering around as if they only came because it was a closeout sale but they'd never been in a bookstore before.  Shelves & bins were a mess; not that big a discount; our checkout line was probably at least an hour's wait & full of people just buying a very few things.  Plus, when I bailed without buying, I noticed almost every person who had made purchases was setting off the alarm.  What an inglorious end; I've been to other closeout sales that were managed much better.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Sad.

If anyone has got a gift card, please use it now. I doubt they have to honour them when they're in liquidation (that's how the law works in the UK and Australia).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Actually, they have said they'll honor gift cards and still give the discount you're entitled to if you've been a member of their rewards program until they close the doors.  They're not selling new cards or memberships though, of course.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

*DrDln* (dr.s.dhillon) said:


> No book seller can survive without e-Books. Borders was too late.


The same is true for libraries. Some publishers sell primarily to libraries and it makes you (and me) wonder about their changing habits. Our little county library hasn't a clue about ebooks.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I was at my Borders today.  Still a lot left.  More coming to empty warehouse -- including 2012 calendars.  A little messy and picked over, but not bad.  I think my wait in line was only about 15 minutes at most.  Just so sad.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> ...They're not selling new cards or memberships though, of course.


Which is too bad. I mean, if someone's silly enough to want to buy a card membership to a place that's going down the toilet in no more than, what, 60 days? Let em!


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I was kinda surprised they essentially raised their prices for their going out of business sale. Most hardcover that were usually 20-40% off list price were now only 10%. I didn't find anything that wasn't cheaper at Amazon.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

This makes me really sad.  I don't like to see ANY business go under, especially a book business.  There's a great Borders that's only a couple of miles from my house.  I have spent many hours in that bookstore and have always enjoyed shopping there with my children on many a gray, rainy day.  I'm really disappointed that it will soon be closing.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> I was kinda surprised they essentially raised their prices for their going out of business sale. Most hardcover that were usually 20-40% off list price were now only 10%. I didn't find anything that wasn't cheaper at Amazon.


I'm not sure, but I think that a liquidator company is running the closing sales, so they start at 10% and go up from there as time goes on. Not a bargain at all, and I could do better ordering from Amazon.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes, the liquidator is Hillco which also ran the Borders UK and Borders Australia liquidations. 

Expect an increasing discount and cr*ppier stock.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Colin Taber said:


> Expect an increasing discount and cr*ppier stock.


If you think these stores look bad now, wait until toward the end when the liquidator starts throwing in leftover merchandise from other unrelated liquidations. That's when it'll start looking like a junkyard.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

And soon the FOR SALE signs will start going up on the fixtures including the registers. That's when things will really hit home for regular customers - and who knows what that does to the staff?


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

Colin Taber said:


> And soon the FOR SALE signs will start going up on the fixtures including the registers. That's when things will really hit home for regular customers - and who knows what that does to the staff?


The Borders near me already has the signs up that all the fixtures are for sale in addition to the inventory.


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## JChris (Jul 18, 2011)

Are the books 50% off yet? Last I heard, only 10%. I feel like such a vulture...


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