Why Did Borders Close?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the closure of Borders bookstores, exploring the reasons behind the closures, the emotional responses from participants, and the impact on local communities. It touches on personal experiences with Borders, comparisons to other bookstore chains, and the broader implications for the retail book industry.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express nostalgia for the Borders experience, highlighting the atmosphere and unique offerings of the stores.
  • Others mention specific closures in their areas, with concerns about the future of remaining stores and the potential for price increases at competitors like Barnes & Noble.
  • A few participants note that they have shifted to online book purchases, although they still value the in-store browsing experience.
  • Some express disbelief that Borders would close in university towns, questioning the business decisions behind the closures.
  • There are mixed feelings about the quality of service in chain bookstores compared to independent shops, with anecdotes about personalized customer service in smaller stores.
  • Several participants share their personal connections to Borders, including memories of shopping there and the impact of the closures on their local communities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the sadness surrounding the closures of Borders, but there are multiple competing views regarding the reasons for the closures, the future of remaining stores, and the overall health of the bookstore industry. The discussion remains unresolved with no consensus on the implications of these closures.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific locations and personal experiences, indicating a reliance on anecdotal evidence rather than broader market analysis. There is uncertainty about the future of remaining stores and the overall impact on the retail book market.

  • #31
Astronuc said:
In general though, the selection of math and science books, or detailed history books is skimpy. I mostly order on-line - often directly from the publishers.
That was my problem with Borders, too. When I'd look for books in specialized fields, they often struck out, IMO. I have a very large collection of astronomy-related books, and found it impossible to add to my collection by visiting their stores. They seem to have popular-science books by Gleick, Penrose, etc, but very little in-depth stuff.
 
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  • #32
Borders sells mostly popular literature, they aren't in the hard sciences market.
 
  • #33
Evo said:
Borders sells mostly popular literature, they aren't in the hard sciences market.
Even B&N has only one section - 4 shelves in one stack - in the entire store on Math and Science.

I used to frequent Brown's bookstore in Houston, or the university bookstores. Brown's was a place where engineers or scientists could browse textbooks and professional books, like those from McGraw-Hill, Academic Press, Addison-Wesley, Prentice Hall, CRC Press, etc. I loved that place!

I also hung out in the university libraries on the weekends.
 
  • #34
Astronuc said:
Even B&N has only one section - 4 shelves in one stack - in the entire store on Math and Science.
You can get textbooks and specialty books from Borders, but only on-line. That's the rub - you can't visit their physical stores and browse. I have books on advanced astrophotography that cost me a day's take-home pay decades ago, but I had to rely on reviews in astronomy magazines, and mail-order them. I would much rather have been able to browse them to make sure they weren't re-hashes of other materials or (worse) superficial treatments of otherwise complex subjects, like reciprocity failure, film hypering, etc.
 
  • #35
It's the same trying to find history books. Popular book stores don't have much of a selection, the really good books are expensive and have a limited market, they aren't going to fill the store with them. You really have to find specialty stores.

Now I just use Arildno for my history fix.
 
  • #36
jtbell said:
I was a grad student in Ann Arbor in the days when there was only one Borders, a block from the U of M campus. I spent a lot of time there and bought a lot of books there.

I remember the original store. I used to visit it several times a year when I lived in Windsor, Ontario. The best bookstore I have ever been in.
 
  • #37
Evo said:
Borders sells mostly popular literature, they aren't in the hard sciences market.
I just stopped in at the Lawrence store after filling my microbrewery jugs to check out their 20%-40% off sale on everything. OMG I wanted "Road to Reality" by Penrose but the line went clear to the back of the store (at least a 30 minute wait). I couldn't wait that long; beer temps are important too.
 
  • #38
dlgoff said:
I just stopped in at the Lawrence store after filling my microbrewery jugs to check out their 20%-40% off sale on everything. OMG I wanted "Road to Reality" by Penrose but the line went clear to the back of the store (at least a 30 minute wait). I couldn't wait that long; beer temps are important too.
One must have their priorities set correctly. You are a wise man. :approve:
 
  • #39
Evo said:
Borders sells mostly popular literature, they aren't in the hard sciences market.

The original Borders store always had lots of very advanced physics and math books on its shelves. For example, I bought both Hawking and Ellis, and Birrell and Davies there.

In 2004, I had a disappointing experience with the chain version of Borders in Oakland Mall in Detroit. They refused to order Zwiebach for me! This was the only time in my life that a bookstore, big or small, refused to order an in-print book for me! I walked across the street and ordered it from B and N.
 
  • #40
Astronuc said:
I used to frequent Brown's bookstore in Houston, or the university bookstores. Brown's was a place where engineers or scientists could browse textbooks and professional books...

JACKPOT! Thank you sir.
 
  • #41
Astronuc said:
Brown's was a place where engineers or scientists could browse textbooks and professional books, like those from McGraw-Hill, Academic Press, Addison-Wesley, Prentice Hall, CRC Press, etc. I loved that place!

S_Happens said:
JACKPOT! Thank you sir.

Jackpot indeed. Thanks Astronuc.
 
  • #42
The U of M bookstore was another great time-waster if you like tech books. They have the top engineering school in the state, and the bookstore offered a lot of very nice texts, reference books, etc. General engineering handbooks ($$$), specialty books on materials sciences, chemical engineering, civil engineering, etc. Not a lot of incentive to buy there, unless you really wanted the book, because they were always priced at full retail. Still, it was nice to be able to browse and compare, and they managed to siphon off a share of my meager funds. I still have a small stash of those orange K+E hardbound surveyor's logbooks somewhere. They were nice for recording my astronomy observing sessions. They could stand up to some heavy dew, and the paper is perfect for mechanical pencils.
 
  • #43
Evo said:
Borders sells mostly popular literature, they aren't in the hard sciences market.

I had a 180 experience in this regard. Most Borders I've visited had a very comprehensive math and science section.

I've seen the MTW 1200 page "Gravitation" bible in multiple locations, and the three volumes of Weinberg's QFT, and lots of other hardcore quantum physics and topology math books, and loads of engineering books weighing hundreds of pounds.

In fact this is the only thing that drew me to Borders.

On the other hand I came to despise BN for their lack of science section. Two BN in my area do not have a science at all. And one that does is very limited. Couldn't even find Sagan's Cosmos.
 
  • #44
what said:
I had a 180 experience in this regard. Most Borders I've visited had a very comprehensive math and science section.

I've seen the MTW 1200 page "Gravitation" bible in multiple locations, and the three volumes of Weinberg's QFT, and lots of other hardcore quantum physics and topology math books, and loads of engineering books weighing hundreds of pounds.

In fact this is the only thing that drew me to Borders.

On the other hand I came to despise BN for their lack of science section. Two BN in my area do not have a science at all. And one that does is very limited. Couldn't even find Sagan's Cosmos.
I prefer Borders to B&N. I think what they carry might depend on the area. The one down the street from me doesn't have much in the sciences or history in the store, but neither do any of the other local book stores. The best store for books was a B Dalton years ago in Houston, a nice selection.
 
  • #45
Evo said:
I prefer Borders to B&N. I think what they carry might depend on the area. The one down the street from me doesn't have much in the sciences or history in the store, but neither do any of the other local book stores. The best store for books was a B Dalton years ago in Houston, a nice selection.

That's interesting. I can understand having a limited science section based on less demand in sciences, but a history section should be more comprehensive as it would appeal to more people.
 
  • #46
S_Happens said:
JACKPOT! Thank you sir.
OMG! They are still alive!

I bought my first books on Analytical Geometry and Calculus there. That was 40 years ago.

http://www.brownbookshop.com/?gclid=CP2zrKLkl6cCFeR65QodYmE9dg :!)

Math-Chemistry-Physics
http://www.brownbookshop.com/categories/Technical/Math%252dChemistry%252dPhysics/

One of their new products - An Introduction to Quantum Optics: Photon and Biphoton Physics
$59.95

Now THAT is my kind of book store! :approve:


I went to the local Borders. Skimpy selection on math and science, and it was more pop sci stuff. The math section was depleted, but the physics and science section still had many books.

It was too crowded. And even with the discount, I could pay the same at B&N.


I left and went to the mall (ugh!) to buy two pair of new shoes (athletic type).
 
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  • #47
Astronuc said:
I left and went to the mall (ugh!) to buy two pair of new shoes (athletic type).
If you manage to come back to Maine during the Skowhegan State Fair (oldest agricultural fair in the country), that's the same time that the New Balance factory store has their annual summer sale, PLUS my wife gets 6 "Friends and Family" coupons to hand out, so you can save an extra 40% on the already-low factory store prices, and the even lower sale prices. That coupon is good for one trip to the checkout with as much stuff as you want to buy. Shoes, boots, sandals, workout gear, sweats, warm-ups and windbreakers, socks, and all kinds of other stuff. If you like New Balance gear, but are put off by the prices, this is a chance to make a haul on the cheap.
 
  • #48
turbo-1 said:
If you manage to come back to Maine during the Skowhegan State Fair (oldest agricultural fair in the country), that's the same time that the New Balance factory store has their annual summer sale, PLUS my wife gets 6 "Friends and Family" coupons to hand out, so you can save an extra 40% on the already-low factory store prices, and the even lower sale prices. That coupon is good for one trip to the checkout with as much stuff as you want to buy. Shoes, boots, sandals, workout gear, sweats, warm-ups and windbreakers, socks, and all kinds of other stuff. If you like New Balance gear, but are put off by the prices, this is a chance to make a haul on the cheap.
Heh, heh - I put a pair of NB. I'll will defer any new purchases until my next trip to Skowhegan.
 
  • #49
Astronuc said:
Heh, heh - I put a pair of NB. I'll will defer any new purchases until my next trip to Skowhegan.
This year, the fair is August 11-20th. The New Balance summer sale runs at the same time. It is locally known as the "tent sale" because NB puts up large outdoor canvas pavilions to display all the extra merchandise that they bring in for the sale. The NB factory across the street is shut down for that week every summer, so the shoppers can use the parking lot. They need the room. The sale is hugely popular, drawing shoppers from all over the Northeast.
 
  • #50
Astronuc said:
OMG! They are still alive!

I bought my first books on Analytical Geometry and Calculus there. That was 40 years ago.

http://www.brownbookshop.com/?gclid=CP2zrKLkl6cCFeR65QodYmE9dg :!)

Math-Chemistry-Physics
http://www.brownbookshop.com/categories/Technical/Math%252dChemistry%252dPhysics/

One of their new products - An Introduction to Quantum Optics: Photon and Biphoton Physics
$59.95

Now THAT is my kind of book store! :approve:

Yeah, I was excited too. I had heard of them a year or two ago, but it had slipped my mind. I'll probably stop by next week and check them out, even though I've already been browsing online.
 
  • #52
I saw that. It looks like they still might find buyers for at least a few stores and/or inventory.

I STILL haven't used my gift card. I guess I'm going to wait until this weekend to see if a bunch of stuff goes on clearance and then use it. I did walk through one the other day, but the NSM selection was atrocious and the two gentleman sitting nearby were having a conversation that was so ignorant I could hardly read the titles in front of me.

Edit- I did visit the Brown Book Shop. You could get lost in there for days, even though it's quite a small shop.
 
  • #53
Borders #1 in Ann Arbor closes today.

The death and life of a great American bookstore (cnn.com)

I still have a number of physics books that I bought at that store (actually, at its predecessor that opened in 1974, the year before I arrived in Ann Arbor for grad school).

Last month I visited their nearest store in Charlotte for old times' sake, after the big clearance sale started, and bought a couple of CDs.
 
  • #54
I'm glad they're gone. When I was shopping at their closeout sales, they were playing this:

I'm not joking, either.
 
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  • #55
jhae2.718 said:
I'm glad they're gone. When I was shopping at their closeout sales, they were playing this:

I'm not joking, either.


D'OH!

Well that explains it!
 
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  • #56
This thread was started a while back, but it appears they're in their final week this week.

So, tomorrow, I'm heading over there and seeing what I might find. :)

Perhaps a cup of coffee.