|
I went to the Borders in Boston yesterday...one last time before liquidation. I will miss the many lunch hours spent there. With the closing of Borders, some who had worked long in the retail book industry, having come from the various closed independents, will lose not just their jobs but possibly their careers.
There was a recent article in the Boston Globe that interviewed customers at this particular location and suggested that a large part of the problem was that while the store was always busy - people went there to browse and read..not buy. People interviewed said they liked to "touch and feel books before buying" but after going to Borders would then buy on-line where the prices were cheaper.
While I think there are many other factors, primarily strategic missteps, that led to the demise of Borders, I do think this phenomenon is one that is why so many U.S. based companies are failing. We want the jobs kept and we demand good wages/benefits...yet we don't want to pay the cost to sustain these businesses. Book stores have higher overhead than an on-line warehouse operation...so to expect prices to be the same is not reasonable.
I am guilty too....browsing at the store and buying e-books from home. However, I always made a point of buying whenever I went there...whether it was cookbook (I have piles that I will never get to as a result), a gift or an occasional paper book for myself. It may cost more than what I can find on-line but for me, I am paying for the experience and to keep the store in business. If we want something to stay around, we need to give it our business.
|