tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post4613535665590168138..comments2023-11-09T07:51:21.497-05:00Comments on The Boston Bibliophile: The Decline and Fall of BordersMarie Cloutierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-39565572765679635472011-01-31T08:29:48.832-05:002011-01-31T08:29:48.832-05:00what you say about not shopping at a for-profit bu...what you say about not shopping at a for-profit business as an act of charity is why I don't waste my time at indie bookstores either. Too expensive, I've found it to be poor selection compared to online. I'm just an online shopper myself because I can get anything. I haven't found browsing in bookstores to be rewarding. Just not my thing.Rebecca Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062252252301802298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-50423085477382195072011-01-27T16:05:05.994-05:002011-01-27T16:05:05.994-05:00You perfectly captured how I feel about the store ...You perfectly captured how I feel about the store and the closings. I remember the Borders in Phiadelphia (a city shockingly lacking in indies and used book stores) - I spent many happy hours there, heard many wonderful authors on tour. That store always made me think of how Joe Fox describes his superstore in "You've Got Mail" (which I saw again on cable recently, and which now, a decade+ later, seems unbearablely quaint about both the internet and bookstores): "I said we were great. I said you could sit and read for hours and no one will bother you. I said we have a hundred and fifty thousand titles. I showed them the New York section. I said we were a goddamn piazza! A place in the city where people can mingle and mix and be."Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01294043681284938799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-21000518486336059782011-01-26T15:15:11.706-05:002011-01-26T15:15:11.706-05:00I definitely feel attached to the Borders name -- ...I definitely feel attached to the Borders name -- the original store was/is in downtown Ann Arbor where I lived for several years. That store was wonderful (haven't been there for 5 years, so I don't know what it's like now). I hope that whatever happens to the chain, that the original store remains!Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10401551604933163595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-8424265035708744382011-01-24T22:48:57.627-05:002011-01-24T22:48:57.627-05:00Great post! It's sad that they aren't doin...Great post! It's sad that they aren't doing well. I don't have any indie bookstores near me and the only used bookstore in the county went out of business, so I'm left with the big chains. Nothing beats wandering the aisles and discovering treasures you never expected!Alexia561https://www.blogger.com/profile/10797515620050469395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-89385706495561883522011-01-24T22:34:34.353-05:002011-01-24T22:34:34.353-05:00I'm a B&N girl, but we have a Border's...I'm a B&N girl, but we have a Border's only 5 minutes away so it does get some of my business. I hate to see any bookstore go down, but at long as one of the big 2 survives I'm good. My hubby tells me it will be lucky if either one is still around in 5 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-34376548943765793452011-01-24T20:17:36.387-05:002011-01-24T20:17:36.387-05:00Great post, Marie. I think the quality of Borders ...Great post, Marie. I think the quality of Borders is slowly declining. I recently visit one of the Borders in my city and it was horrible. The children's section resembled a toy store instead of a bookstore while all the sellers walked up and down the aisles without asking anyone if they needed help. It used to be one of my favorite places to visit but not anymore. If that certain location were to close, I wouldn't miss it at all.Vasillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08463689838763126048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-30563382173119924162011-01-24T20:00:20.514-05:002011-01-24T20:00:20.514-05:00I used to love Borders. My friend's husband u...I used to love Borders. My friend's husband used to play chess at the one hear our homes and she and I would browse the store for hours. Over the years the store changed as you have noted in ways that didn't please me. I love a good indie store but don't have any to speak of in my area. I'm grateful that there are several good B&N's in my area and enjoy shopping at those.Kathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739982274914536036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-46686236765177269762011-01-24T16:21:35.622-05:002011-01-24T16:21:35.622-05:00I am so saddened about the possibility of Borders ...I am so saddened about the possibility of Borders closing, as I love the book store. <br /><br />I read several articles in the past couple of weeks on the subject.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-67867971546704222682011-01-24T13:52:24.385-05:002011-01-24T13:52:24.385-05:00The closest Borders for me was over an hour's ...The closest Borders for me was over an hour's drive away, so I was never very attached to the store. I know someone who worked there for a few years and quit about a year ago--she's definitely not surprised they're going under. Their management practices were totally loopy; it seemed (to my friend, anyway) like they were setting themselves up for financial failure.Heidenkindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09494625457587427781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-61092628368261431532011-01-24T13:10:22.361-05:002011-01-24T13:10:22.361-05:00I've had a lot of fun times in Borders too, bu...I've had a lot of fun times in Borders too, but there's simply no way I'm going to lament the passing of these big chains. Not after watching them wipe out at least 80% of all other American bookstores. Something about reaping what you sow. I think it's from a Dr. Seuss book.<br /><br />The selection at all the major retailers is just awful anyway. It's always the same four Tim Zahn books, the same one by David Quammen, if they carry him at all. Donald Barthelme? I'll have to check the computer. M.A.R. Barker? Are you sure you don't mean Clive? No, we're pretty sure the <i>only</i> book Thomas Pynchon ever wrote was Gravity's Rainbow, perhaps you're thinking of the next dimension over...<br /><br />Good riddance, I say!!<br /><br />Plus, I'm thrilled with anything that pushes the publishing industry towards the digital format, because right now I get many of the same blank looks from the internet that I used to get from clerks standing in front of their cardboard Danielle Steel displays.Thirdrail1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10146517404953253440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-4352644562631162642011-01-24T12:37:58.639-05:002011-01-24T12:37:58.639-05:00It is very sad to see Borders losing it's posi...It is very sad to see Borders losing it's position in the book world. I remember when I lived in Miami, they were the only store that ever really had what I wanted. I used to go in on Friday nights and sit and get coffee and read. I spent so many happy hours in that store with friends and alone as well. This is just so depressing, and it seems like it's a trend with all the brick and mortar stores.Zibileehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05857638467064749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-87914216735332494532011-01-24T12:34:29.836-05:002011-01-24T12:34:29.836-05:00"Borders became what B&N used to be and B..."Borders became what B&N used to be and B&N assumed Borders old identity." I'm not sure I could have articulated that, but I think you've nailed it.<br /><br />I think Borders remains in my mind as the store I discovered in Memphis 15 years ago - a huge, eclectic space I could browse for hours. The suburban Borders in my town isn't like that - hard as it is for me to see it truly - but it's literally the only bookstore in town, and I'd hate to lose it.Florindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09789402061034734894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-60466577493833785812011-01-24T11:54:59.213-05:002011-01-24T11:54:59.213-05:00interesting post, especially on shopping at a stor...interesting post, especially on shopping at a store as an "act of charity" and the changes in borders. it's been over a year and a half since i've been in a bookstore, since i'm out of the states now, but before i left i generally went to indie stores when possible. sometimes more expensive, but i found that their selections were often more to my tastes...there was a store pretty close to my apartment that had more literary mags than the b&n across the street, and an entire section of graphic novels that the b&n didn't even approach. still, i remember growing up and going to borders...once a week my father, brother and i would get in the car and drive to delaware (no sales tax!) and spend a few hours in borders. first store i started picking up literary magazines, but as you write that sort of selection started to decline...<br /><br />as you write, though, businesses live & die on the strength of their business practices. not so long ago we were hearing a lot about the big chain bookstores driving the indies out of business; maybe this is the chance for indies to come back. it can take a while to find an indie bookstore that's worth supporting, but i like the feel of community you can find there...i used to work at a used bookstore, almost 10 years ago, and my old boss there has been the biggest supporter of a library project i'm working on. i can't imagine a borders or b&n mailing boxes of books halfway around the world to an old employee; and maybe it's only REALLY a reason to keep shopping at that store when i go back to the states, but i'm going to view it more as a reason to shop the small stores in general. (act of charity though it may sometimes be.)<br /><br />great post, and thanks for getting me thinking about this! i'm a little hazy on what's going on with bookstores in the states, and i appreciate the chance to get a clearer picture of what things will look like when i get back.<br /><br />-- ellenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-83550813051448606012011-01-24T10:38:51.474-05:002011-01-24T10:38:51.474-05:00you made so many good, true points.
I think if Bo...you made so many good, true points. <br />I think if Borders fails..which they may or may not..is that they made a lot of bad business decisions. Can a brick and mortar book store succeed? Yes, they just have to offer something other stores or online shopping can not give.<br />They are never going to beat Amazon on price. Or selection. But I don't have any interest in going to a store that is more card, calender, gift store than book store and that is what they are now.caitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05824538078958999767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-91293846173528541952011-01-24T09:43:36.932-05:002011-01-24T09:43:36.932-05:00I worked at Borders for a couple of years, part-ti...I worked at Borders for a couple of years, part-time, while I was working a low-paying publishing job by day, and it was strategy that led to the changes you note here. In general, they gave store managers less power over what to promote/display, making it all come from the corporate headquarters, which led to Borders seeming like just another mall bookstore.<br /><br />If Borders in Downtown Crossing closes, I may have to spearhead a campaign to make that huge space into a big non-profit center, focused on literary organizations and still including a bookstore of some kind. I really don't want to see a giant Crate & Barrel there, or have it stand empty next to The Big Hole that was once Filene's.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09277741178537732462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-2919154257116600012011-01-24T09:31:34.774-05:002011-01-24T09:31:34.774-05:00You describe the Borders I knew 15-20 years ago in...You describe the Borders I knew 15-20 years ago in Syracuse. A huge music section with listening stations, periodicals that you couldn't get anywhere else, and always the book I was looking for (even when I didn't know I was looking for it!).<br /><br />Moving to the CT suburbs ten years ago, I noticed a change. More empty space. Tiny music section. Mainstream magazines.<br /><br />I believe we're thinking of the same suburban Borders now. When we moved here I thought it was the awkward layout of that particular store, but the empty floor and shelf space continues to grow.<br /><br />Mistakes were made; it seems they can't catch up, no matter how they cut/change now.Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09285873722005594325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-85991206049771732872011-01-24T09:27:51.848-05:002011-01-24T09:27:51.848-05:00I think you make an excellent point when you say t...I think you make an excellent point when you say that Borders became what B&N used to be and B&N assumed Borders old identity. And it is sad. Somewhere along the line Borders decided to sell trinkets and toys and stuffed animals and a hose of other weird items. I do not think they were well-served by their terrible online strategies either.Franceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597485569740436880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-55231949708425228262011-01-24T09:10:12.723-05:002011-01-24T09:10:12.723-05:00I shopped at Borders after my favorite indie (and ...I shopped at Borders after my favorite indie (and only one in the city) went under. I also used to shop at B&N. Now I am strictly Amazon. I feel bad about Borders but did they feel bad about the indie books stores that went under? And they started going under long before Amazon came along. I would love to have my indie store back, they had the best selections and introduced me to writers I never would have found at Waldenbooks, the only other option.bookmagichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13808845291761439603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-78497117543435512652011-01-24T08:59:03.679-05:002011-01-24T08:59:03.679-05:00Hear hear!
>>
Soup kitchens and homeless sh...Hear hear!<br /><br />>><br />Soup kitchens and homeless shelters deserve our charity; a for-profit business succeeds or fails on its efficacy as a business- and some businesses, even some bookstores, sometimes fail because they deserve to.<br /><<<br /><br />I shop local entirely out of the selfish desire to maintain the local businesses and neighborhoods I like. If you're going to enjoy browsing or having a coffee and reading your own books at the bookstore, you'd better be willing to buy something once in a while to support the place.limeduckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09767656990324644244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-11174105562239772002011-01-24T08:50:14.046-05:002011-01-24T08:50:14.046-05:00Rhapsody, exactly. The Borders in Chicago was amaz...Rhapsody, exactly. The Borders in Chicago was amazing. I'm glad I got to visit at least once!<br /><br />Laura, yes, I agree. Borders was more fun. :-)Marie Cloutierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-81406019422148665122011-01-24T08:48:52.504-05:002011-01-24T08:48:52.504-05:00I remember when the Borders opened in Downtown Cro...I remember when the Borders opened in Downtown Crossing. It was massive and the selection was amazing! I could find old BBC Masterpiece Theatre VHS or DVDs there.<br /><br />I prefer Borders to B&N because they discount more. I always found B&N more stuffy and Borders to be more hip to the local culture.<br /><br />I'm so sad to see that it might go away.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10717707372283581208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1359999156621466745.post-35557602372540352352011-01-24T08:43:00.492-05:002011-01-24T08:43:00.492-05:00I think the quality of Borders has gone down, but ...I think the quality of Borders has gone down, but still, imagine places that ONLY have Borders and no B&N. The big Borders on Michigan Ave. in Chicago - so sad to think of it gone. Even if you have an e-reader, it would be a shame not to be able to browse in a bookstore!rhapsodyinbookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07041412748239010264noreply@blogger.com