Borders

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8 Iconic Stores That Have Disappeared

From Filene's Basement to Tower Records

(Newser) - This week, Radioshack announced the closing of some 1,100 stores, prompting speculation as to whether it will go the way of Blockbuster. That reminds a nostalgic Caitlin Dewey at the Washington Post of the key stores of yesteryear that just aren't there anymore:
  1. After more than 100 years,
...

Borders Staff List Ways We Drove 'Em Crazy

Workers displayed 'Things We Never Told You' before shutdown

(Newser) - Ah, the joys of customer service. Before Borders went belly up, employees displayed a list of grievances with us ... the customers. Entertainment Weekly's Shelf Life blog lists the bullet-pointed "Ode to a Bookstore Death":
  • "It confused us when we were asked where the non-fiction section is."
...

Borders Done In by Its Own Stupidity, Not Internet

Other retailers adapted, just not Borders

(Newser) - Video might've killed the radio star, but Borders Books wasn't done in by the Internet, contrary to the claims of its top brass. A better factor in the liquidation— and loss of 10,700 jobs —would be the host of bad strategies Borders' management enacted, writes Annie...

Buyer-Less Borders Will Liquidate

Move will put almost 11K employees out of work

(Newser) - There will be no storybook ending for Borders. The 40-year old bookseller could start liquidating its 399 remaining stores as early as Friday. The chain, which helped pioneer the big-box bookseller concept, is seeking court approval to liquidate its stores after it failed to receive any bids that would keep...

Bookstores Censor Shirtless Male

Androgynous teen Andrej Pejic must be covered up on Dossier

(Newser) - Barnes & Noble and Borders officials are insisting that a special wrapper be placed around a magazine featuring a shirtless male teen on its cover before agreeing to place it in bookstores. The male is androgynous Australian model Andrej Pejic, 19; he's wearing curlers in his hair, but he...

iPad Kills Jobs: Jesse Jackson Jr.

'Why do you need to go to Borders anymore?' asks congressman

(Newser) - The real culprit behind American unemployment? The iPad, says congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.: It’s “probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs.” Just look at Borders' bankruptcy, he noted on the House floor on Friday: “Why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do...

Border Files for Bankruptcy Protection, Will Close 30% of Its Stores
 Borders Closing 30% of Stores 

Borders Closing 30% of Stores

Struggling chain files for bankruptcy protection

(Newser) - It's not exactly the most surprising news of the day: Borders is filing for bankruptcy protection and will shutter about 30% of its stores—or about 200 locations—over the next few weeks. The 40-year-old company, which has struggled in the face of competition from Amazon, the Kindle, and deep-discounters...

Borders on Brink of Bankruptcy
 Borders on Brink of Bankruptcy 

Borders on Brink of Bankruptcy

Chain expected to slash up to 200 stores

(Newser) - Struggling bookstore chain Borders may file for bankruptcy protection as early as next week, sources tell Bloomberg . The chain is still looking at its options for restructuring ahead of a bankruptcy filing, and is considering closing up to 200 of its 650 stores, the sources say. The chain, which was...

10 Companies That'll Be Dead by 2012

Even household names like Sara Lee unlikely to survive

(Newser) - The economic crisis can be blamed for the death of quite a few large companies already—think Circuit City, Northwest Airlines, and Countrywide—so which ones can we expect to go bye-bye this year? Here are 10 American companies that seem unlikely to survive, from 24/7 Wall St. via Daily...

Tiny Borders Looks to Buy Mighty Barnes & Noble

Even though it's a fraction of the size

(Newser) - A major Borders shareholder is offering to finance a $960 million bid to buy much larger rival Barnes & Noble. That would amount to $16 a share, unlikely to be the highest bid for the bookseller, which put itself on the block in August. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal...

Google Set to Battle Amazon With Launch of eBooks

Gloves are off in battle of the eBookstores

(Newser) - After much anticipation, Google launched its ebookstore in the US today, jumping into the fray with Amazon, Apple, and Borders with its first “real” retail service, reports Wired . Google eBooks lets readers view their books on a variety of devices, from iPhones to Chrome and Safari browsers to Sony’...

Prices Slashed on Amazon, Nook E-Readers

Pressure from iPad leads to $60 and $70 savings

(Newser) - A price war is heating up in the electronic reader market, as Amazon cut the price of its Kindle e-reader below $200 today, just after Barnes & Noble did the same with its competing Nook device. The Kindle's price was slashed by $70 to $189, just a few hours after...

Palin Memoir a Gift to Booksellers
Palin Memoir a Gift to Booksellers

Palin Memoir a Gift to Booksellers

Going Rogue likely to continue trend of hits from right-wing figures

(Newser) - Sarah Palin’s memoir is expected sell so well that it will singlehandedly boost the fortunes of the ailing book business. The book is already topping preorder lists, and publisher Harper plans an extensive slate of promotional appearances to make full use the former Alaska governor's drawing power. "They...

Borders Cans Top Brass After Dismal Holiday Season

Bookseller reports 12% drop over '07, replaces CEO, others

(Newser) - Borders will immediately restructure top management to counter a steep slide in sales, the Ann Arbor News reports. CEO George Jones has been replaced with Ron Marshall, a turnaround expert with book experience. Other top spots were shuffled to veterans of the Michigan-based company. The bookseller announced today that its...

Book Giant Weighs Bid for Chief Rival

Barnes & Noble checks out Borders

(Newser) - Barnes & Noble is mulling a possible bid for its nearest rival, Borders, reports the Wall Street Journal. America's biggest book chain, with 22% of the market, has assembled a team of 30 executives and experts to study a takeover of the second biggest, with 12% of the market. Such...

Book Publisher Takes Stab at New Model

HarperCollins imprint won't allow returns from retailers

(Newser) - HarperCollins has decided to rock the book-publishing boat, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s launching a new imprint that won’t allow retailers to return unsold books—a potentially risky departure from tradition—and will offer little or no advance payments to authors. The imprint will focus on online...

Cash-Strapped Borders Considering Selling Itself

Parts, or all, of bookseller on table, it secures $42.5M loan to keep going

(Newser) - Bookseller Borders is considering selling itself or some of its divisions, the Detroit Free Press reports today. The company, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is in the midst of a turnaround, but is desperately short on cash, today borrowing $42.5 million from its biggest shareholder, Perishing Square Capital Management....

Borders Tests More Covers, Fewer Books

Space-hogging move will cut titles 5%-10%

(Newser) - Borders is betting you do judge a book by its cover, the Wall Street Journal reports. In hopes of catching more customers’ eyes, the nation’s second-largest book retailer will dramatically increase the number of face-out books it displays. The move, aimed at countering stagnant sales and distracted customers (elections,...

If He Did It, They Won't Push It
If He Did It, They Won't
Push It

If He Did It, They Won't Push It

O.J. book won't be on shelves, but Barnes & Noble will sell it online

(Newser) - Barnes & Noble won't put the new edition of O.J. Simpson's controversial near-confessional If I Did It on bookstore shelves, but it will make the book available by special order and online. Rival Borders will stock the book but won't promote it. The divergent decisions reflect the publishing industry's...

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