Sunday, March 13, 2011

Shopping at Borders

How depressing!  Yesterday, on a family trip to the local mall, we stopped at Borders.  I was curious because while looking for parking spots upon our arrival at the mall, several people were holding big signs - "Borders - Going Out of Business - Everything Must Go!"  I wanted to check out the sale.

Apparently, the "Going Out of Business" sale had been going on for a week or more.  Many sections of the store were empty, others had books and other things thrown all over the place.  The cute little corner coffee shop was shut down and all sorts of fixtures were scattered about, with bright orange price tags on each.  Literally everything was on sale.

How sad.  Another book store chain dying.  I'd like to think this means rise to the "Mom and Pop" small, local book stores that have taken such a hit in this internet age, but I suspect it simply means more power to the Internet sellers.  It wasn't much fun walking through that Borders although I admit to picking up a few books I was interested in at great prices and yes, I bought a "fixture" - a solid-oak table top book display that will make a great addition to my table display at book signings.  But I will miss trudging down to our local Borders to check out the newest arrivals.  Whaddya think - is Barnes & Noble next?

3 comments:

  1. In my opinion, the popularity of e-readers will cause the market for hard copy books to continue to shrink, but I think there will always be a demand for books with paper pages, albeit small. After all, most people wouldn't risk taking an e-reader into the bath with them for fear that they may drop it and ruin it. Sure, no one wants to drop a hard copy book into the bathwater either, but its ruin would not be as expensive of a loss.

    In addition, there are still people who cannot afford e-readers. However, the price of e-readers continues to drop, and I also wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturers of e-readers developed ways to protect them from water damage.

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  2. This saddens me! i am all for progress, but to me nothing is better than holding a book in your hands. Weather it be a new book with a crisp binding, or a old first edition musty with age. Books are like friends to me. I am resisting getting an e reader, I know the time will come when I have to, for my writing and ease, but I will ALWAYS buy a traditional book.

    I think most people would miss the days of sitting in a little book store, or even a chain book store with a cozy coffee area, with a book and a cup of tea.(Book people anyway) I really don't want to see it become part of a romanticized past! The more news I see of books stores closing, the more I worry about the loss of personal connections. Ahhh

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  3. There's nothing like shopping in a real bookstore! Just the lovely smell of all those books as you walk through the doors. Not the same shopping on the internet!

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