Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

http://www.chuckypita.com/wp-content...rve-system.jpg

They like Criterions.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

That's what happens when you raise your prices and lower your selection.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Damn, where am I going to pay ridiculous prices for books now?

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Ya' know, I stopped going to the book store. Amazon has EVERYTHING. Back in 2000, if I wanted a book, I could go to B&N or Borders. If they didn't have it, I'd do a special order. But now it's so much easier to just find it on Amazon.

What're you gonna do?

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Yea, I'll miss getting a hearty laugh at their MSRP-priced DVDs and Blu-rays. "Gee, I wonder why we don't sell more movies?" -screwy-

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Around 2000 Borders re-priced all their DVDs at about $5 under MSRP- I bought tons of discs then, since I wanted to support a 'real' store and not Wal-Mart or Target, and of course they had titles those stores would never carry- but by 2002 the prices started creeping back up. After that they drastically cut the DVD selection in a lot of their stores- what took an hour or so to browse through only took a few minutes. The times I still went in looking for particular odd titles, they weren't there.

When they first dropped the prices, I worked within walking distance of one of their stores so I made TONS of impulse buys, some I still haven't even watched yet.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Well, love them or hate them, they are the only book store in my area that's convenient to go to. The Barnes and Nobles around town are all really out of the way for me. So I will actually miss them quite a bit.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Borders was a fine place in the late 90's and into the early 2000's, but at some point after that they really went downhill. I can say that within the last 5 years I have been unable to spend more than 20 minutes in the place....this is down from when I could browse their stuff for a few hours.

When their prices jumped and their selection shrank I turned to Amazon to do what I did at Borders...buy/order obscure CD's and movies.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I was wondering why they hadn't sent me any coupons in awhile.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Use those giftcards up quickly...

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Borders was one of the rare b&m stores that sold Alpha brand DVDs, but they were usually priced at $12.99 even though the MSRP was $7.98. !!!

Good riddance.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

The 40% coupons made for some good to great prices, but I mostly bought music, and their decision to drastically cut their selection a couple of years ago really put a dent into my purchasing.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

"Brick and mortar is dead!" *squawk*

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I've walked around several times with a 40% off coupon and still went back to Amazon. Borders was MSRP crazy.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

You're so right Giz! I hated Borders from the friggin beginning. Their prices were such a joke. Borders can take their 40% coupons n wipe off their d*ck with it. FYE, BLOCKBUSTER and now BORDERS filing for bankruptcy. Fantastic!

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Be careful what you wish for. The day may come when Amazon is the only player left standing. We'll see how low their prices are then.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Smaller specialty stores are doing okay. I think that's how this kind of retail is going to survive. The days of 10,000 square foot bookstores are over.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

they even had the audacity to raise the price over the MSRP of Criterion DVD/blurays, so the occasional 30-40% coupon was sort of pointless. The Friendship Heights Borders selection really has taken a turn for the worse - I frequent (and purchase) Barnes and Nobles merchandise alot more than them.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I still buy books from Borders when I have a 30 or 40 percent off coupon, which come every couple of days. I find myself bored on occasion and decide to pick up something rather then wait a couple days for Amazon, and for the most part after coupon the difference is only a buck or two so I don't feel that bad. Just yesterday I went and decided to buy Freakonomics on a whim.

I'd be bummed out if Borders went under, since the coupons make them more appealing to me then Barnes and Noble.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

When Borders hit our downtown a few years back, I found them more appealing than Barnes & Noble, but I haven't had a reason to shop there in years. I don't like to see longstanding stores in trouble, though.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

That's been my experience as well; in the last few years the store selection has really gone downhill. I think I first noticed it when they started cutting back their CD/DVD selection a couple of years ago and rearranged the floor layout of the store. Seems like they started devoting less space to books as well, and there's a now a lot of empty floor space in the store and tons of junk where books used to be.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Borders was great years ago. If I couldn't find a more obscure cd or dvd at my regular stops, the odds are good that Borders would have it. At the time, I didn't mind paying the extra money because I was just happy to have found what I was looking for. Their usefulness to me died when they removed 95% of their cd and dvd selections. Honestly, I'm just not phased by this news.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

In my local BORDER store the ONLY employee who seemed to be doing their job, was the physically challenged young woman, who could WHIP OFF those security cases for dvds and cds, quicker than ANY of the store employees.

LONG LINES. LONG LINES. LONG LINES.

We are talking on the average of 30 deep at the checkout line, with a compliment of 5 checker outers, AND OTHER EMPLOYEES JUST WALKING AROUND AIMLESSLY !

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Indeed. The more competition, the better.

I have never understood the glee that some take when a company goes under. If you don't like a store, then don't give them your business. Pretty simple.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Much like Blockbuster, they are trying to fill their stores with other crap in hopes of luring new customers in. Blockbuster has sold "artwork", Blu-ray/DVD players, Sound systems, Pickles in a bag, CDs, Computer accessories etc. I've seen Borders carry more and more 'crap' (Twilight merchandise, iPod accessories etc.) in hopes of getting new customers. After they shrunk their Optical Disc section (CD/DVD/BD), I really only go in there to look at magazines (which also shrunk - all the cool specialty ones are gone) and use my Amazon App to scan books I want to buy (at a cheaper price).

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

You know what I miss? Returning un-opened DVDs/BDs for store credit that could be used at Amazon. Man, those were the days :)

But otherwise, I'm thrilled. We shouldn't allow business' to stay up that are not profitable. Circuit City failed for a reason. If it's a bad business, it's a bad business.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

If Amazon starts price-gouging the way Borders did, then some other online source will undercut them and become the new Amazon.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I seriously doubt that.

1) Just because you see other employees doesn't mean they have a register to ring on. Other employees do work in stores that never touch a cash register.

2) Just because you don't know what their job description was doesn't mean they were walking around aimlessly. It mean's you were clueless and quick to judgment.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Oh, so your Borders must be one of those that has 20 or 30 checkout stations.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I still feel CC died because they really never got their shit together. I don't really know how hard it could have been to at least emulate how Best Buy worked on a store level.

But alas, their problems were deeper than mediocre selection and apathetic employees.

I have far more awesome memories of Borders and I do CC, which is why it pains me to see Borders be so damn crappy. I mean, I have a 40% off coupon and I struggle to find a single thing I want.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I unfortunately went to Borders with a coupon that didn't print out right (didn't realize this til I was standing in line) - the manager who's usually nice and lenient, was an utter douche to me (he must have gotten a corporate memo or something because he was acting REAL bitchy) - needless to say, I didn't (i.e, 'couldn't') use the coupon, I left in disgust... let Rome burn for all I care.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Borders was a pretty good place to shop for CDs and books, although their DVD selection was nothing special. The ones here in Hawaii carried Alpha DVDs for about $4.99 for the longest time, and being the Alpha DVD fan that I am that was a good thing for me. Everything else could be gotten elsewhere for a lot less money.

However, when they do go under I'll never miss them as much as I miss Tower Records...in a perfect world Tower would still be in business.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

I'm guessing Amazon, once their competition is gone and they start charging MSRP.



More likely, you will be paying inflated MSRP's for their Kindle books and proprietary dvd-r's once they bankrupt the distributors and publishing houses.

The myopia on this board is embarrassing .

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

with iBooks being good competition don't expect to pay MSRP for Kindle books either. there is also Sony's web store along with a few other niche ones like O'reilly. And Google just opened one as well

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

CC's problem was making the checkout process a hellish experience. in the one closest to me you had to stand in line at the customer service desk for most transactions and it could easily be a 30 minute wait.

unlike best buy where i spent less time in december than Circuit City in July

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

Borders has been doing horribly for years. Most of it started at the top with poor management. One of the first things to go was respect for their employees and along with that, hours to work which quite likely translated in unhappy workers on the floor dealing with customers.

Management believed that the best way to cut costs was to cut employees. This meant people with book knowledge and experience, gone. Actual people on the floor? Gone. Did the employees want this? Nope. Did they have a choice? Nope.

For the past year to 2 years, most stores run at an absolute minimum of people. During the basic day, at any one time there is about 4 people working in the store. A little overlap for lunches, but basically 4. That's one cashier. One person in the cafe making drinks/food. One person at the information desk and one manager. Sometimes the last two are the same person.

When there is a line at the checkout there is no one to call for help. They just don't exist.

Yes, I was an employee. I was lucky enough to see the writing on the wall and got out about a year ago. Still make nothing, but at least the stress of working for a company with no raises for 3 to 4 years, being forced to shove one specific book down people's throats, customers who demand that they use an expired coupon which the computers won't take on the one 2.99 book they're buying, cut working hours even for full timers, constant screaming at by the GM because their boss is screaming at them about why we're not selling 1,000 glitter balls an hour...(and I could go on) is done.

I think a lot of people forget that the people working on the floor have absolutely nothing to do with pricing or policies. The average retail worker is told to be the bad guy and follow the company's policies (i.e. return policies) and the managers, to quiet the complaining customer before they go to the higher rung, allow customers to get away with murder making the person just doing their job look like a jerk.

While I'm not sad about this company going under, they treated too many people like disposable objects and like criminals to deserve my respect, there still are a lot of good people who care about books (and movies!) that are about to lose their jobs in this economy where it can take years to get another one.

Not to mention...this is another brick and mortar that is going away. Pretty soon if you do want a book, dvd or cd, the only place to get it is online. No more rushing out for little Jimmy's book report that's due the next day and finding it at a local spot. Need 4-10 days for that!

I know in my town, (~100,000 people), this is the last bookstore. We have one used place, but it doesn't stock any new releases or any multimedia. The nearest is about 2 hours away.

Ok, sorry, didn't mean to rant, but I did have to stick up for the remaining people who do good work in that company that will now have to go through liquidators and rude customers who are only interested in making bucks off a dying company or saving pennies.

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

as an ex employee im betting those you saw walking around aimlessly were walking around picking up after douchbag customers who would trash the store on a daily basis..98 % of the job was returning books and crap to the shelves
..kind of hard to pickup after people like that with a smile on ones face..but then again Borders bred that with the whole library atmosphere..why buy the book when you can just sit in the store..read it for free with a coffee..then just throw it on the floor and let the hired help put the crap back
one of the worst part time jobs I had

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

most people don't care about good service, they want price. we had this in the 1990's when best buy destroyed a bunch of smaller electronics stores with good service but higher prices. it has been proven that people will go to good service stores, waste employees' time and then buy at a cheaper price somewhere else

Borders was first hurt by Amazon and the fact that they could stock more inventory than anyone else especially niche books. and now by ebooks. i see a lot of kindles and ipods/iphones in the NYC subway. not so much iPads. people reading paper books is going the way if the dodo. other than carrying them around, no one wants to use up valuable space in their home to store books that they will probably only read once. and a lot of the classic non copyrighted books are now free to read instead of paying money at the bookstore.

it's like RIM and their BIS/BES investments. they didn't dare make an iphone/android competitor because they had just spent billions of $$$ building out datacenters all over the world and now it was time to scrap them. Borders management had a huge B&M investment and didn't dare invest in ebooks because the bean counters said it was bad for business

Re: Border's bankruptcy filing possible next week
 

One of the things that continues to amaze me about the two Borders near me is the tenure of the employees. I literally see the same people working there from seven years ago. I know times are tight, but if the place sucks so much, why not go work somewhere else? It's not like these are six-figure types with big bonuses and stock options....it's retail ferchrissakes!

I agree with you here, staff is slim. Often, there is no one available to man the info desk, and fuggedaboudit if you need something from the back. Have a warm, sunny day in the Spring? Half the help calls in sick.

Yea, what's the deal with THAT? I remember when they were pushing The Middle Place for about a year. Do I look like a dumb sappy chick who'd read a book like that? I wasn't the last 9 times you asked me, so why would I be today???