Borders UK enters administration

[nick101]

I think it's a shame. Our Borders (Milton Keynes) is always busy, even though it's not in the town centre, has a great selection and good staff.

It's a rollercoaster. When we arrived in MK (1988) the town had 2 bookshops (Fagins, a small chain, and a branch of the Cranfield University bookshop. Fagin's went bust, and we were down to just Cranfield for many years - nice bookshop, but too small. Must have driven many people to Amazon (including me).

Then we got a Waterstones (hooray!). Then Waterstones bought Cranfield bookshops (boo!) but left the MK branch open (hooray!). Then we got an Ottakars (hooray!). Then a Borders (double hooray!). All 4 shops bust all the time. Then the ex-Cranfield Waterstones was closed down (boo!, but since it was only 50 yards from the bigger W's, not really surprising). Then Waterstones bought Ottakars (Treble boos all round!).

So now we have 2 W's, and a Borders that may or may not survive. Which is sad, but better than no booskops at all.

And, by the way, even though I was buying from Amazon UK before it was Amazon UK (anyone remember BookPages? It was the UK online bookshop that Amazon bought and rebranded to Amazon.co.uk), I still and always will buy from bookshops. Borders and Waterstones have had plenty of my money and will continue to get it, and I don't suppose I'm unique.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by fugazied

Ebooks wouldn't have killed them, but competition from online sellers wouldn't have helped (and the supermarkets selling best sellers at super low prices). Also let's face it - people read less because their heads are stuck in their phone, facebook or in front of a computer game or TV.

I don't mind if journalists write innacurate reports on the closure suggesting ebooks played a role - more publicity for ebooks and more incorrect info suggesting ebooks are taking over the world!

It will seem slightly odd if they do put any blame on ebooks, the vast majority of any blame from outside the company itself will probably be due to the supermarkets, the loss of sales and/or profits from the best sellers combined with less chance to sell other books at the same time as those best sellers has to be a big blow to all the bookstores, although the stories you hear about specialist retailers buying books, games etc. from the supermarkets and then reselling them at their higher price are quite amusing.

[nick101]

It can't be ebooks:

1. There just aren't enough of them to make a difference. My biggest issue with the ebook trade is the lack of choice and inconsistency. So far, of the 80 or so current books I've tried to find in ebook format, I've found precisely 2. That's not a threat to anyone, except makers of ereaders.

2. Ebook prices are too high. I can buy Dan Brown's latest for less than £10 as a book, but £13 as an ebook (not that I'd buy either, but it makes the point.

3. Ereaders are too expensive. For ebooks to make a real impact, readers need to be selling for about £100 and the ebooks need to be significantly cheaper than the print editions.

4. Ereading is still in the very early adopter phase - which is a phase that has no substantial impact on the mass market.

[lioslaith]

Originally Posted by michaelmiller

I always found Borders store layout a lot better than Waterstones, but their prices a lot more expensive than both Waterstones and WH Smith. I would browse Borders noting all the new books then buy them elsewhere at a better price.

I'm not sure if Waterstones cheaper - we've had one in Dundee for years and I can count on one hand how many visits I'm made since Borders opened here and and don't need to use a single digit to do so - but we (my Mother and I) often browse the large selection and then leave off purchasing until we check prices elsewhere.

Still can't figure how the books with only US/Canada prices on them are the same price in pounds as dollars. I find that the books obviously from the prices printed on the back as imported are marked as $6.99 or $7.99 and the store just replaces the dollar sign with a pound and take £6.99/£7.99. But I digress.

Borders have the best selection for us and has introduced us to a lot of new authors but their prices - like all bookstores in our area - are generally the full price marked on the reverse. And shopping online especially through stores like Amazon can save you up to a third of the price sometimes more. Hence they get the business.

Not so say I haven't poured a lot of money into our local stores, I have, we have as our store stocks a lot of local books that are difficult to find elsewhere. Also the stock at WH Smith was alright but only seem to stock major authors like Nora Roberts and Stephanie Laurens - not to say they are not good authors but sometimes you want to try someone new and the selection just isn't there and what is there is limited.

Also our Borders has the books laid out and clearly marked, no need to trawl through all fiction to find a new book in a particular genre. Our Waterstones has all fiction intertwined under author name. Alright if you're going for a particular book but no good if your browsing for a new author to peruse.

Our Borders store is pretty diverse, while there is a lot of books to window shop, including a well stocked child's library which is handy for my three young nephews, there are also a nice selection of gifts - some quite unusual - and every magazine you could need and a large selection of cut price DVD's, an outlet of the game store and also a Starbuck's on the upper level of the store.

We often spend at least a hour to hour and a half browsing through all areas, having a cup of iced coffee and relaxing. I find the layout quite refreshing when you consider the cramp outlets of WHSmith and Waterstones we have available. Easy to find what you want and not too crammed that you feel claustrophobic.

A real shame if we loose it as it is only around three years old and cost two million to build at the time according to reports when it opened. They actually built the two storey building in what at the time was a new commercial park. Basically a long line of major retailers in the city centre area. It's a good area to shop and local enough to walk if you don't have a car or rely on public transport. We waited patiently - or rather impatiently to be honest - while the shop was built as we knew what was being built and our area badly needed a bookstore as we had only one small Waterstone outlet after our Ottakar's closed down.

[HarryT]

I guess Waterstones are the obvious candidate to take them over. There must, I'm sure, be areas where Borders have a "better" shop than Waterstones.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I guess Waterstones are the obvious candidate to take them over. There must, I'm sure, be areas where Borders have a "better" shop than Waterstones.

I'd imagine that competition concerns about Waterstones are going to start cropping up...

[HarryT]

True. They do rather seem to be "taking over" in the UK, don't they? Mind you, I like Waterstones. Good shops, and knowledgeable staff. A monopoly isn't necessarily a bad thing when it's a "good" one.

[DawnFalcon]

I like Waterstones as well, but, well, they have two stores here with basically identical content two minutes walk away from each other. We'd be far better off with two separate chains.

I'd like to see them spin off some stores in that kind of situation.

[Patricia]

I don't mind Waterstone's, but I don't like monopolies.
When Waterstones was fairly small, they has to make an effort in the UK, in order to compete with Ottaker's. Dillons and Borders. Now they are swallowing up all the opposition, so don't need to try so hard. The Cardiff branch has rather less choice than it did five years ago. That does worry me.

[Katti's Cat]

Originally Posted by charlieperry

That's a really good idea. They don't have that at my local library as far as I know.

Only good if you are a fast reader. I usually am but even I struggle with a 400 odd page book to finish it in 7 days

Originally Posted by charlieperry

As for catalogues being sluggish I'm very happy to read books which are 10 or 20 years old. In fact I prefer it. You always run the risk when reading a brand new highly recommended book that it's just a fad. I always wait a few years for the dust to settle before reading any highly praised work.

The 'sluggish' referred to the speed the catalogue operates not the content. I have no problem with that and have so far been able to get all books I wanted.

[Andanzas]

Originally Posted by frossie

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.

What is their ebook strategy?

[HarryT]

According to this BBC News article, Borders has now started "closing down" sales in all of its shops.

[nick101]

Originally Posted by HarryT

According to this BBC News article, Borders has now started "closing down" sales in all of its shops.

Yes - was at my local one yesterday. Very sad. Looks like a cheap clothes shop in the January sales.

[Speedy eReader]

I went on Borders.co.uk and their website is shut down. Elonex has put their eggs in the wrong basket with their eReader because their store was down for maintence as well.

The Borders store on Oxford St in London was always busy but I am sure that their other stores were not as profitable. It's a combination of the recession, job losses, shoppers being more conservative with their money and not necessarily poor management. eBooks were not a factor in this bankruptcy.

When money is tight for me, I will buy used books from the charity shop or borrow books from the library - books are among the first thing I will cut back especially when the internet has all the information I will need.

[Argel]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Borders US had a 16% stake. They'll have taken a loss on this, but not a massive one by any means.

But Borders US does have its own problems in relation to ebooks. Its shares have fallen sharply, which observers attribute to the fact that it has yet to announce a strategy for its own device.

This report from Reuters: Borders shares fall sharply on e-reader fears