Borders go bust !

gothic_hobbit · 19 Jul 2011 at 17:01

http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/borders-rapid-rise-accelerated-its-fall/

I can recall when they used to be in this country a while back.

Now it seems another one bites the dust !

Sankari · 19 Jul 2011 at 17:15

It was only a matter of time. Their Australian division collapsed earlier this year.

Curio · 19 Jul 2011 at 17:30

Not sure this should be in SC?

Anyway, I'm not surprised they've gone. I used to like going to the my local one (I'm in the US) but I would never buy anything - too expensive and often didn't have what I wanted anyway. Whats the point when you can go on-line? Although I guess that's the case with any bricks & mortar store.

Monkeynut · 19 Jul 2011 at 17:47

The one near me turned into a NEXT not long ago. No-one bought books, they just took them over to the in store Starbucks and read them there, then put them back and left.

mp3duck · 19 Jul 2011 at 21:26

Monkeynut said:
The one near me turned into a NEXT not long ago. No-one bought books, they just took them over to the in store Starbucks and read them there, then put them back and left.

Was that the Kingston one? If not, same thing happened to that one too!

EdwardTeach · 19 Jul 2011 at 21:31

I liked their Brighton store. I think my family would regularly spend a couple of hundred quid there at Christmas, the line to pay used to be horrendous!

PermaBanned · 19 Jul 2011 at 21:35

Well at least we still have Waterstones...

vicisthebest · 19 Jul 2011 at 21:53

I thought it went bust about 18 months ago? The one closest to me in Leeds closed down yonks ago, all the staff made redundant.

Annoying actually, it was on a retail park and had millions of books, could always find what I needed at the last minute, now I have to battle my way into town to go to the tiny waterstones which doesn't have what I want usually.

Edit: The article is about Borders in the US.

From Wiki:

Borders, UK: In 2008 and 2009 the store numbers were reduced before the collapse of the chain. They also operated one single branch in the Republic of Ireland, but closed this early in 2009. On 26 November 2009 it was announced that Borders (UK) had gone into administration. All stores closed on 24 December 2009, leaving Newsstand as the largest online magazine retailer in the UK.

alexakasloth · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:30

EdwardTeach said:
I liked their Brighton store. I think my family would regularly spend a couple of hundred quid there at Christmas, the line to pay used to be horrendous!

It's strange not seeing so many emos hanging outside Churchill Square, anyway - I didn't think it was a great bookstore and Waterstones is certainly the better competitor on the high street, not to mention the obvious online choice.

Ricochet J · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:34

Why is anyone suprised? They were overpriced anyway. Equivalent books were available cheaper online.

Monkeynut · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:35

mp3duck said:
Was that the Kingston one? If not, same thing happened to that one too!

The Cheshire Oaks one.

AtticusFinch · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:37

Unless you want to browse why bother with a high street bookstore. The Internet is our retail friend or even better (for most books I want) buy an e-book. Save a tree or 3 and avoid unnecessary clutter around the house too!

Ricochet J · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:43

AtticusFinch said:
Unless you want to browse why bother with a high street bookstore. The Internet is our retail friend or even better (for most books I want) buy an e-book. Save a tree or 3 and avoid unnecessary clutter around the house too!

Nothing beats the feeling of a paperback.

AtticusFinch · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:46

I used to think that

Ricochet J said:
Nothing beats the feeling of a paperback.

But got a kindle, put it in the Amazon Kindle Case with the device-powered light and haven't looked back. So easy to use, no eye strain and was converted within a matter of weeks and now would only buy a paperback if I cannot get the e book version.

shifty_uk · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:48

Great business model for cheapskate students looking to use books, horrendous for profitability.

Berserker · 19 Jul 2011 at 22:56

UK version went south a few years back. Coffee shop inside a bookstore was just asking for trouble and trouble is what they got. Anyone wanting to actually buy a book would find it cheaper online. Ours is now an M&S Simply Food, which also seems odd in a small out-of-town shopping complex - especially as there's a big Tesco superstore across the road.

Jimbeam3678 · 19 Jul 2011 at 23:01

Evangelion said:
It was only a matter of time. Their Australian division collapsed earlier this year.

Not surprised they actively encouraged you to to sit down and read an entire book in the Perth store, even free coffee on Mondays :eek:

Backpackers paradise :cool:

shifty_uk · 19 Jul 2011 at 23:06

Berserker said:
UK version went south a few years back. Coffee shop inside a bookstore was just asking for trouble and trouble is what they got. Anyone wanting to actually buy a book would find it cheaper online. Ours is now an M&S Simply Food, which also seems odd in a small out-of-town shopping complex - especially as there's a big Tesco superstore across the road.

I'm sure Waterstones apply this method aswell. Surprised they're still in business but Borders going bust pretty much leaves the UK market wide open for a mainstream bookstore.

Borders rented huge spaces and made their miniscule earnings off coffee concessions and magazines I would imagine. Leaving workspaces and seating areas in book stores is just a no no. That's what a council library is for.

Haggisman · 19 Jul 2011 at 23:08

Who/what are Borders?

(joking aside, I've heard of them, but never actually seen one of their shops, can't have ever been that big over here surely?)

Ricochet J said:
Nothing beats the feeling of a paperback.

Agreed... well... not quite. Nothing beats the <smell> of a paperback. I love going to the Book Barn in Wells and grabbing a random Sci-Fi or fantasy series for £10 =), the sweet-musty smell in there is fantastic!

They also have some amazing old books, when I was in there a couple of years ago, I think they had one of the early editions of Darwin's Origin of Species, wasn't in great condition, but still, in a locked display case, with a rather hefty price tag (if i remember right it was into 4 figures!) =D

footman · 19 Jul 2011 at 23:09

AtticusFinch said:
But got a kindle, put it in the Amazon Kindle Case with the device-powered light and haven't looked back. So easy to use, no eye strain and was converted within a matter of weeks and now would only buy a paperback if I cannot get the e book version.

Agree 100%, a complete revelation.