Borders bookstores files for Chapter 11

[OBLAMA2009]

Wow, I'm pretty surprised the one at Friendship Heights in DC is closing. When I worked up there, that location was always pretty busy.

the one in downtown sf is also really busy and is closing. they interviewed the store manager and he said the rent in the store is insane so it still lost money

 

[Eli]

Wow, what a madhouse the one here in Santa Fe was.

Most books were 20% off. Magazines were 40% off, which is a pretty good deal.

We spent $152.18 after taxes on 8 books and a CD.

For fun, we decided to look everything up on Amazon. The same things from Amazon would have come to $124.30, no tax, free shipping. D:

Oh well.

 

[lxskllr]

Wow, what a madhouse the one here in Santa Fe was.

Most books were 20% off. Magazines were 40% off, which is a pretty good deal.

We spent $152.18 after taxes on 8 books and a CD.

For fun, we decided to look everything up on Amazon. The same things from Amazon would have come to $124.30, no tax, free shipping. D:

Oh well.

Spread the wealth. You helped further competition in a shrinking market. Consider it a donation to a social charity ;^)

 

[zerocool84]

Wow, what a madhouse the one here in Santa Fe was.

Most books were 20% off. Magazines were 40% off, which is a pretty good deal.

We spent $152.18 after taxes on 8 books and a CD.

For fun, we decided to look everything up on Amazon. The same things from Amazon would have come to $124.30, no tax, free shipping. D:

Oh well.

Haha that sucks. That's why they went bankrupt.

 

[Perknose]

I love the one near me. It has great selection of books. That one isn't closing, thank goodness.

Same for the one near me. I'm relieved, it's a great store, even if I don't buy all that much from them. They will order any title they can get from their distributor(s) if they don't carry it in store, which is really nice.

 

[BoomerD]

I don't remember the last time I was in either Borders or Barnes & Noble. MAYBE in 2007 before a flight to Hawaii so I could find a particular novel...MAYBE...and a couple of years before that.

I doubt I've spent more than $200 combined in either store over the years.
Amazon >* other booksellers.

 

[dwell]

Mine's closing

Was always a good place to see what books to get at Amazon

 

[rockyct]

Haha that sucks. That's why they went bankrupt.

Well, the liquidation company sets those prices so it's not really Border's decision anymore about pricing. Often times liquidators will mark prices up from the normal price or bring in crap that didn't sell at other liquidations.

 

[Slew Foot]

Good riddance

Amazon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>every other bookstore, aside from the local discount used store.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Haha that sucks. That's why they went bankrupt.

It is the sales tax that is killing them. Sales tax has what, doubled in most places over the last 15 years?

 

[lxskllr]

It is the sales tax that is killing them. Sales tax has what, doubled in most places over the last 15 years?

Not in MD. It was 5% most of my life, and then went up to 6% about 15 years ago or so.

 

[destrekor]

B&M stores are going to find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the market when their big competitor, online mass-inventory websites, are selling most products for an absolutely minimal profit. Online stores are going the "carry everything, sell large amounts with slim profit margins" route. B&M stores just cannot make that work, and I think many stores are going to find a struggle staying afloat as we get further into the next decade.
As more of the population becomes proficient with the internet, more will flock to internet stores for the savings potential. Right now many B&M stores survive on the populace that is either aging and/or less comfortable with the internet (which includes research and whatnot, replacing hands-on demo), or the part of the populace that wants immediate results and essentially are impatient and are willing to spend more money to have something now.

Hell, I fall into that latter category at moments - depends on the type of product and exactly how much savings is on the line. For $5 difference, I'll usually go somewhere in person... $50 cheaper online? I won't purchase in a store.

 

[0roo0roo]

Well, the liquidation company sets those prices so it's not really Border's decision anymore about pricing. Often times liquidators will mark prices up from the normal price or bring in crap that didn't sell at other liquidations.

http://consumerist.com/2011/02/dont-rush-into-buying-stuff-at-liquidation-sales.html
yup fake sale prices, they even bring in stuff left over from other liquidations someitmes.

 

[BoomerD]

Mine's closing

Was always a good place to see what books to get at Amazon

Yep...ours is also on the closure list, yet surprisingly, the one in a neighboring small town is staying open...for now.

 

[KaOTiK]

I stopped by one of them I go to a quite often that is closing. I walked in saw everything was 20% off except posters that were 30% off and magazines that were 40% off. I laughed and walked out. I get emails from them like twice a week with a coupon that is at least 33% off.

When they bring the books down to that range I'll be happy to pick them up then, otherwise I can just use their own coupon in a non closing store or go on amazon.

 

[Svnla]

Wow, what a madhouse the one here in Santa Fe was.

Most books were 20% off. Magazines were 40% off, which is a pretty good deal.

We spent $152.18 after taxes on 8 books and a CD.

For fun, we decided to look everything up on Amazon. The same things from Amazon would have come to $124.30, no tax, free shipping. D:

Oh well.

Whaaa, 40% off? Can you get me some Playboy newsstand special issues? :awe:College girls and Girls next door will be good.

 

[lxskllr]

Liquidation prices always suck at first, and may never get good if they aren't selling everything, and just moving it to a different store. On actual clearances, they generally used a stepped discount setting where the deals get better closer to the actual close date.

 

[drebo]

The Borders around here (there's two of them) are garbage compared to Barnes and Noble. The selection is way, way worse and the employees are far less helpful. Their excuse is "we can order it for you". If I wanted to order it, I wouldn't have gone to the store. Borders has a shit selection of technical and non-bestseller books. B&N is way better in every respect.

Also, I disagree that Amazon will kill B&M booksellers. Borders had shit selection and service. Shit selection and service does way more harm than online competition.

 

[Synomenon]

It's opposite here. Most of the Borders stores are nicer than the B&N stores. Good thing only one of the Borders stores in town is on that list.

 

[dr150]

B&M stores are going to find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the market when their big competitor, online mass-inventory websites, are selling most products for an absolutely minimal profit. Online stores are going the "carry everything, sell large amounts with slim profit margins" route. B&M stores just cannot make that work, and I think many stores are going to find a struggle staying afloat as we get further into the next decade.
As more of the population becomes proficient with the internet, more will flock to internet stores for the savings potential. Right now many B&M stores survive on the populace that is either aging and/or less comfortable with the internet (which includes research and whatnot, replacing hands-on demo), or the part of the populace that wants immediate results and essentially are impatient and are willing to spend more money to have something now.

Hell, I fall into that latter category at moments - depends on the type of product and exactly how much savings is on the line. For $5 difference, I'll usually go somewhere in person... $50 cheaper online? I won't purchase in a store.

B&M stores carrying travel guides and comic books will always float.

And there's young, super tech-savvy, ultra-educated people like my wife and her scores of friends that would rather purchase the book at a B&M than on Amazon. They will pay retail without a second thought. They don't care about Kindle or about pirating.......So it's not only old less tech-savvy people that are a B&M's bread and butter.

I can foresee ultra-large bookstores downscaling as the rent will crush their profits. The dumbed-down American population doesn't read anymore anyways. You'll have to specifically cater to a select few customers of certain interests who will always buy from you (ala comic book store model). This is not a secret....biz mags have scores of articles as to why small bookstores still exist in the wake of Amazon an B&N.
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In comparison, the German bookstore model is antiquated but works..........Publishers don't allow electronic formats (pirates). The books aren't discounted (fat profits). You can't read mags without purchasing them (no leeches). And you have an educated population of all ages that loves to read (i.e. turnover).

German bookstores are treated like a place of business and not treated like the local library where the cow and milk are givebn for free.

It has always baffled me as to how a super store like B&N can exist with the LEGIONS of non-purchasing leeches buying a coffee at the local Starbucks and then heading over to read a FULL book/mags with no obligation to purchase.

I would be more in favor of buying a monthly pass at B&N to have this privilege of "using" their store as my playpen...

 

[dainthomas]

I would be more in favor of buying a monthly pass at B&N to have this privilege of "using" their store as my playpen...

Or just take out all the comfy chairs. If someone wants to read the latest Scientific American cover to cover for free, then they can stand the whole time.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm sure marketing research has shown that people buy more books if allowed to read in the store. When you're in here reading magazines, you're a captive audience, and will make more impulse buys since you're already there. That's why they all have cafés now. They don't give a shit if you get your coffee or not. They want you hanging out in the store where you can buy things.

 

[kamikazekyle]

The store near me is on the list, and I stopped by to check out the sales. As others have said, it was the usual 20% off list price for books. But they did like any other liquidation company would have done: up-marked the stuff they originally had on sale to retail, use their own barcodes to cover the standard barcodes and block out the MSRP printed on the book, and exclude the popular stuff from the sale. I saw a book I bought for $5.99 on clearance three months ago marked up to $9.99 "special clerance price" and exempted from the sale. To their credit, though, even if they blocked the bar codes it was still MSRP then 20% off.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

a what?

It is a place where homeless people go to use the bathroom.

 

[Triumph]

.
In comparison, the German bookstore model is antiquated but works..........Publishers don't allow electronic formats (pirates). The books aren't discounted (fat profits). You can't read mags without purchasing them (no leeches). And you have an educated population of all ages that loves to read (i.e. turnover).

German bookstores are treated like a place of business and not treated like the local library where the cow and milk are givebn for free.

Sounds like a terrible model, one sided for the business only. No thanks.