Australia/NZ Borders, A&R and Whitcoulls go bust

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 06:40 AM

Australian book chains Borders, Angus & Robertson and the Whitcoulls chain of newsagencies in New Zealand have been placed into voluntary administration by its private equity owners only a day after the Borders company in the US also collapsed.
The failure of Borders in Australia is not linked to the woes facing its namesake in America - they are owned by different corporations - but both have suffered from the rise of internet book sales and constrained consumer spending.
From here: http://www.smh.com.au/business/borde...217-1axt9.html
Since Borders and A&R has been the only place I've been buying ebooks from, this comes as really bad news.
The company that owned the three is called REDgroup Retail Pty Ltd.

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 06:56 AM

I'm rather shocked that A&R won't be here in particular - founded in 1886!
I would have thought their superior ebook stores would have helped them survive, but the Amazon competition has got far too fierce.

Solicitous · 02-17-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

I'm rather shocked that A&R won't be here in particular - founded in 1886!
I would have thought their superior ebook stores would have helped them survive, but the Amazon competition has got far too fierce.

I would not blame amazon. I heard on abc news radio that their situation is felt to be due to not adapting to market trends and consumer demands. Customers don't want to pay top dollar for a limited range of books when they can pay a fraction at target or kmart around the corner. To this day it still amazes me why they did not have stores setup to allow a consumer to go and browse the Ebook library in store. Possibly even with the wifi kobo let them purchase.

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solicitous

I would not blame amazon. I heard on abc news radio that their situation is felt to be due to not adapting to market trends and consumer demands. Customers don't want to pay top dollar for a limited range of books when they can pay a fraction at target or kmart around the corner. To this day it still amazes me why they did not have stores setup to allow a consumer to go and browse the Ebook library in store. Possibly even with the wifi kobo let them purchase.

The consumer demand has been for cheaper books online and B/A&E/Whit couldn't compete with that.
I agree with the browsing the ebook library in store thing. I know Dymocks set up one in the city. I can see however that sales staff would have needed significant training for that, and need to support more than just the Kobo.

fjtorres · 02-17-2011, 07:31 AM

Pretty much all the bookstore chains have failed to leverage the web as a *support* to their B&M sites the way WalMart, Best Buy and others have.

The most obvious way being setting up web sales for optional in-store pick-up.

Most seem to treat online as a separate universe alltogether, as if online shopping was only for people outside their B&M areas. Borders Group (US) never really tried; first they outsourced online sales completely, then they ran them as an almost totally detached operation.

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Pretty much all the bookstore chains have failed to leverage the web as a *support* to their B&M sites the way WalMart, Best Buy and others have.

The most obvious way being setting up web sales for optional in-store pick-up.

Most seem to treat online as a separate universe alltogether, as if online shopping was only for people outside their B&M areas. Borders Group (US) never really tried; first they outsourced online sales completely, then they ran them as an almost totally detached operation.

I was more an ebook rather than a pbook buyer (although I'd bought at least one pbook from A&R instore).
I don't know what the American operation is like, but in Australia the join between online operations and instore operations wasn't so obvious.

jehane · 02-17-2011, 07:43 AM

I blame the publishers. Consumers can buy from Book Depository and the like at overseas prices, while the local retailers are restricted to the artificially inflated prices imposed by local publishers and parallel import laws. While I used to be a loyal long-time Dymocks customer, it's been a couple of years since I bought anything from them apart from SBS dvds/cds. Just can't justify the price any more.

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 07:51 AM

I hear you with regards to Dymocks. They charge like wounded bulls and the thought of being left to their tender mercies isn't a nice one..

AprilHare · 02-17-2011, 05:11 PM

I'm glad to see that someone is thinking of a salvage bid, and that not all A&R stores will be lost. It would be a shame to lose such a grand old business completely.
(I guess I never really cared about Borders/REDgroup. Too fly-by-night..)
http://www.smh.com.au/business/owner...217-1ay6w.html

sabredog · 02-17-2011, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jehane

I blame the publishers. Consumers can buy from Book Depository and the like at overseas prices, while the local retailers are restricted to the artificially inflated prices imposed by local publishers and parallel import laws. While I used to be a loyal long-time Dymocks customer, it's been a couple of years since I bought anything from them apart from SBS dvds/cds. Just can't justify the price any more.

Could not agree more with you.

The only books I have purchased in a Dymocks store was for my daughter for Christmas. That is two in over ten years.

Before moving to ebooks I purchased paperbacks online.

GA Russell · 02-17-2011, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

I can see however that sales staff would have needed significant training for that...

I hear that quite a bit. Does anyone else have no sympathy for a retailer who is reluctant to properly train its staff?

sabredog · 02-17-2011, 07:12 PM

Now blaming online shopping for their demise.

There is a connection to made regarding this. Their range and prices have been pretty bad. But it is their fault in the main as the bookstores were right at the forefront of continuing import restrictions and have been slow with ebook rollout.

http://www.watoday.com.au/business/o...ul#makeComment

injapan · 02-17-2011, 07:17 PM

yes, sad news. I have bought ebooks at the Whitcoulls store (online)
I can understand whats happening and I still prefer online to real stores but still kinda sad
But when you think about it, things are changing all the time, very few things truly stay the same for a long peroid. I mean before 1886 there wasn't a store called Borders or Whitcoulls, people got by then and will now. If a new demand in a new area grows, a new company, trend will start, and then that will probably come and go as new technology comes along

DarkRoast · 02-17-2011, 08:14 PM

I wonder what it will mean for buying epub ebooks in Aust. The situation is already dire, as far as range an price goes, how much worse is it going to get?

sabredog · 02-17-2011, 09:10 PM

Pretty bad I would imagine. Borders ebook site was moving forward in terms of content and delivery, though with some minor issues.

02-17-2011, 06:40 AM	#1
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Australia/NZ Borders, A&R and Whitcoulls go bust Australian book chains Borders, Angus & Robertson and the Whitcoulls chain of newsagencies in New Zealand have been placed into voluntary administration by its private equity owners only a day after the Borders company in the US also collapsed. The failure of Borders in Australia is not linked to the woes facing its namesake in America - they are owned by different corporations - but both have suffered from the rise of internet book sales and constrained consumer spending. From here: http://www.smh.com.au/business/borde...217-1axt9.html Since Borders and A&R has been the only place I've been buying ebooks from, this comes as really bad news. The company that owned the three is called REDgroup Retail Pty Ltd. Last edited by AprilHare; 02-17-2011 at 07:01 AM.

02-17-2011, 07:12 PM	#12
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Now blaming online shopping for their demise. There is a connection to made regarding this. Their range and prices have been pretty bad. But it is their fault in the main as the bookstores were right at the forefront of continuing import restrictions and have been slow with ebook rollout. http://www.watoday.com.au/business/o...ul#makeComment Last edited by sabredog; 02-17-2011 at 07:14 PM.

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02-17-2011, 06:56 AM	#2
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	I'm rather shocked that A&R won't be here in particular - founded in 1886! I would have thought their superior ebook stores would have helped them survive, but the Amazon competition has got far too fierce.

02-17-2011, 07:31 AM	#5
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Pretty much all the bookstore chains have failed to leverage the web as a support to their B&M sites the way WalMart, Best Buy and others have. The most obvious way being setting up web sales for optional in-store pick-up. Most seem to treat online as a separate universe alltogether, as if online shopping was only for people outside their B&M areas. Borders Group (US) never really tried; first they outsourced online sales completely, then they ran them as an almost totally detached operation.

02-17-2011, 07:43 AM	#7
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	I blame the publishers. Consumers can buy from Book Depository and the like at overseas prices, while the local retailers are restricted to the artificially inflated prices imposed by local publishers and parallel import laws. While I used to be a loyal long-time Dymocks customer, it's been a couple of years since I bought anything from them apart from SBS dvds/cds. Just can't justify the price any more.

02-17-2011, 07:51 AM	#8
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	I hear you with regards to Dymocks. They charge like wounded bulls and the thought of being left to their tender mercies isn't a nice one..

02-17-2011, 05:11 PM	#9
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	I'm glad to see that someone is thinking of a salvage bid, and that not all A&R stores will be lost. It would be a shame to lose such a grand old business completely. (I guess I never really cared about Borders/REDgroup. Too fly-by-night..) http://www.smh.com.au/business/owner...217-1ay6w.html

02-17-2011, 07:17 PM	#13
injapan Addict Posts: 228 Karma: 1030816 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Japan Device: iPhone 11, Kobo Arua 2 and iPad Air 3	yes, sad news. I have bought ebooks at the Whitcoulls store (online) I can understand whats happening and I still prefer online to real stores but still kinda sad But when you think about it, things are changing all the time, very few things truly stay the same for a long peroid. I mean before 1886 there wasn't a store called Borders or Whitcoulls, people got by then and will now. If a new demand in a new area grows, a new company, trend will start, and then that will probably come and go as new technology comes along

02-17-2011, 08:14 PM	#14
DarkRoast Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 55272 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Australia Device: Sony Reader 650	I wonder what it will mean for buying epub ebooks in Aust. The situation is already dire, as far as range an price goes, how much worse is it going to get?

02-17-2011, 09:10 PM	#15
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Pretty bad I would imagine. Borders ebook site was moving forward in terms of content and delivery, though with some minor issues.

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