MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Borders to have a fire sale

porkupan · 02-20-2011, 11:27 PM

I am sure Slickdeal.net is on the case, and the news about store closings are all over the news media and bargain-hunting blogs, so all the people who normally never visit a bookstore will make a point of going to the local Borders to get some dirt cheap gifts for whatever obligatory gift-giving occasion happens to come next. When my local Borders was shutting down at Xmas time of last year, it was mobbed by bargain hunters you would normally see visiting Walmart, Target and garage sales. I wish they were there earlier, before the store had to close. Well, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered as the company is in such a hell of a mess...

Buying a booklight at 30% off would have been a smart move, but one could have it at 33% off pretty much any week in the last few years, and many of those weeks at 40% off. Borders has been incessantly emailing those weekly coupons to Rewards members, and continues doing it now. Since about 3 idiot-CEO's ago, there has never been a reason to pay full price for anything at Borders.

I am surprised, however, that so many people who visit this forum and seem to love to read are exhibiting such a nonchalant attitude towards possible liquidation of a major bookstore chain. Bookstores have been a major part of culture for so many years, centuries even, and in some ways they replaced libraries as places where knowledge could be obtained without necessarily paying for it. Personally, I am saddened by the fact that the majority of book lovers are resigned to get their books from a price cutting catalog, which is Amazon. I guess, price-shopping is "the American way", but I wish people cared more about the local economy and the local jobs. After all, many urban and suburban book lovers are not destitute, and could afford to spend a few extra bucks for the privilege to have a real bookstore in the neighborhood. I happen to believe that the bargain prices will only last as long as there is viable competition in the book selling business. Once the B&M stores cease to present any sort of a threat, the cheap prices at the online shark-super-store will give way to MSRP. The same goes for ebooks, by the way...

02-20-2011, 11:27 PM	#18
porkupan Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1057213 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Eastern U.S. Device: Sony Reader	I am sure Slickdeal.net is on the case, and the news about store closings are all over the news media and bargain-hunting blogs, so all the people who normally never visit a bookstore will make a point of going to the local Borders to get some dirt cheap gifts for whatever obligatory gift-giving occasion happens to come next. When my local Borders was shutting down at Xmas time of last year, it was mobbed by bargain hunters you would normally see visiting Walmart, Target and garage sales. I wish they were there earlier, before the store had to close. Well, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered as the company is in such a hell of a mess... Buying a booklight at 30% off would have been a smart move, but one could have it at 33% off pretty much any week in the last few years, and many of those weeks at 40% off. Borders has been incessantly emailing those weekly coupons to Rewards members, and continues doing it now. Since about 3 idiot-CEO's ago, there has never been a reason to pay full price for anything at Borders. I am surprised, however, that so many people who visit this forum and seem to love to read are exhibiting such a nonchalant attitude towards possible liquidation of a major bookstore chain. Bookstores have been a major part of culture for so many years, centuries even, and in some ways they replaced libraries as places where knowledge could be obtained without necessarily paying for it. Personally, I am saddened by the fact that the majority of book lovers are resigned to get their books from a price cutting catalog, which is Amazon. I guess, price-shopping is "the American way", but I wish people cared more about the local economy and the local jobs. After all, many urban and suburban book lovers are not destitute, and could afford to spend a few extra bucks for the privilege to have a real bookstore in the neighborhood. I happen to believe that the bargain prices will only last as long as there is viable competition in the book selling business. Once the B&M stores cease to present any sort of a threat, the cheap prices at the online shark-super-store will give way to MSRP. The same goes for ebooks, by the way...