Borders Closing Its Doors

[Poppy Fields]

Today after work my husband, son, and I have to go to Borders books to spend our Chrstmas gift cards. The stores close forever on 8/5, so time is running out.

I'm kind of sad today about Borders. We have always given their gift cards as Christmas gifts, and as a family we have always picked a Saturday after Christmas for book shopping and a nice steak house lunch afterward. I'll miss this store. E-readers don't really deliver the same satisfaction as holding a book in my hands.

Books seem to be going the way of newspapers and landlines. I hope B & N isn't going down this road, too.

[libgirl2]

I work at a library, while we have e-reader people (we offer a database for free downloads, not a fan of the titles offered though), there are still plenty of people who check out books. But that brings us to the book stores...
Its a shame about Borders, but if you ever get the chance, the writer Brian Keene has an interesting viewpoint on his blog as to why book stores are dying. He basically says that they moved away from the business of selling books, suddenly you could drink coffee, surf the net, flip though a book or magazine and leave without buying a thing besides coffee and a snack. Borders is not a coffee house, but a BOOK store, they sell BOOKS, they lost sight of that primary focus and now look. They might have suffered despite that but they could have played it smarter.

[AcookerTV]

I think that writer has a good point, and I think it goes further than that. When I shop in a book store, I want the people who work there to love books, and be able to talk about them and make suggestions to me. I'll go back to a store like that again and again. The past few years, when I've gone to Borders, I haven't found that as much as I used to. Maybe they're hiring people now who are drawn more to the music and coffee shop, and don't have the pasison for books.

[norealityhere]

Borders closed out here a while back.
B & N still seems to be going strong. I think a lot of it is due to the fact that B & N s better at marketing and partnering with the community than Borders was.

[Tilden]

I think that writer has a good point, and I think it goes further than that. When I shop in a book store, I want the people who work there to love books, and be able to talk about them and make suggestions to me. I'll go back to a store like that again and again. The past few years, when I've gone to Borders, I haven't found that as much as I used to. Maybe they're hiring people now who are drawn more to the music and coffee shop, and don't have the pasison for books.

I read a recent article that indicated independent bookstores are actually doing well, for a lot of the reasons you mention. Plus, people who shop for books frequently get attached to long-standing local bookstores.

It drives me nuts that my local B&N now has a huge game/toy section right up front. Couldn't they put the games/toys with their large children's section and let the books have that prime spot?

[Miss Scarlet]

We don't have either a Borders or Barnes & Noble where I live. We do have another chain, not as well known. It features not just books, but games, DVD's, CD's, DVD Rentals, of course the requisite Coffee Shop, all sorts of Book/Movie accessories & licensed products, Candy/Popcorn for movie watching. Every time I go in there I don't feel I'm in a bookstore, but more like a glorified Movie Rental store.
When I'm out of town I go to Barnes & Noble & feel like I'm in a Bookstore! Even though it has other stuff, it still has the bookstore feel & look, & the employees actually know about books & authors. They also are VERY helpful with questions about my Nook & Nook Products.
Here, in town we do have an old style Bookstore in our uptown. No coffee, toys, movies, or anything else. Just books & people who LOVE them. Now THAT'S a Bookstore! And they still do good enough business to stay open & profitable.