Borders Books Ponders Selling Out
March 25, 2008
While Decatur works to establish itself as the book capital of the South, the two national bookstore chains, B&N and Borders, are struggling.
The reasons are numerous; from online competition like Amazon (which runs Borders website), to the decline in CD sales. I would also add that the PRICE of their CDs is a real issue. Even with the advent of iTunes, the big box book/music stores are still charging $18.99 for a CD. What is this, 1998?? If I want to pay an extra premium for an album, I’ll go to Decatur CD and still probably shell out $3 or $4 less than that. Or maybe even get it used for only $7.99!
And then a couple days ago it was announced that the big-box book/music business is SO bad that Borders has put itself up for sale.
This has folks all over the internet speculating about whether Barnes & Noble will take the plunge and buy its arch rival. The potential sale even has MSNBC asking “Did Borders Kill the Independent Bookstore?” and tells the tale of a struggling indie shop outside of Wilmington, DE.
Personally, I think that the tale of B&N/Borders and the local shops closely mirrors that of Starbucks and the indie coffees. The national chains have taught the indies some big lessons, as well as put many of them out of business. But just like SBUX, the big brick and mortar bookstores have overextended themselves and now find it hard to post growth or even survive. And while many indies have gone under, I’d bet that the threat of elimination has made many of them stronger, better businesses.
I may still pay a premium at the indie book shops, but I also receive much better customer service. That’s worth a couple extra bucks. Plus more money stays local. But you all know that old sales pitch.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Especially those of you that might, say, own bookstores.
h/t: ATLarts
Unfortunately, I’ve all but given up on buying certain books in Decatur, and I have friends who feel the same way. Only once has the item I needed actually been in stock (at Wordsmiths in this case), and I bought it. Most recently, I went on a deliberate hunt to find a long-time bestseller that’s been out for over 15 years. I needed it for a book group and figured if the library had it, surely one of our stores would. It wasn’t available at any of the new or used bookstores in Decatur (nor at Eagle Eye). It was, however, available at Borders, where I reserved it online for immediate pickup at the counter, used a 30% off coupon to purchase it, and earned Borders Rewards points for the purchase. My only complaint was having to pay Atlanta tax.
I realize that stores serve different needs for different people. I’m grateful for the wonderful authors that Wordsmiths brings into town, and I’m happy to pay full price for those works. I enjoy buying great cards, pastries, and coffee at Indie Coffee & Books, and I appreciate the events they have there. I love to buy (or trade) stacks of old books at Books Again. But perhaps there are some functions that the big box stores simply do better? Since I only buy items at Borders that are on clearance and/or deeply discounted, they are providing a valuable service to me (and perhaps one which the indie stores could not afford).