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frossie · 11-26-2009, 05:39 PM

Borders UK (no longer connected to Borders USA - they were spun off a couple of years ago) almost certainly did not fail because of e-books. I am sure Amazon.co.uk had a lot to do with it, but also there was the particular "mega-store" model they inherited from their US origins. Retail space is vastly more expensive in the UK than in the US, especially in prime locations, so I am guessing there was pressure on their margins from the start.

Now Borders USA is a different story - I think their e-book strategy is crazy and I wouldn't be surprised if that is not a factor in their eventual demise.

11-26-2009, 05:39 PM	#11
frossie Geek Herder Posts: 31 Karma: 70 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Hilo, HI Device: nook	definitely not e-books Borders UK (no longer connected to Borders USA - they were spun off a couple of years ago) almost certainly did not fail because of e-books. I am sure Amazon.co.uk had a lot to do with it, but also there was the particular "mega-store" model they inherited from their US origins. Retail space is vastly more expensive in the UK than in the US, especially in prime locations, so I am guessing there was pressure on their margins from the start. Now Borders USA is a different story - I think their e-book strategy is crazy and I wouldn't be surprised if that is not a factor in their eventual demise.