A sorry loss. Borders was originally a bookstore in Ann Arbor whose
owners really 'got' what reading and books were all about, and they
exploded onto the national scene to dominate the business. But as with
so many others, the online world caught them totally by surprise, and
they never understood what they needed to do to adapt or exploit it.
Barnes & Noble is experimenting much more vigorously, notably with Nook
and a parallel effort to redefine their stores as social spaces, but its
a battle for them as well. Copyright is still the bugbear of far too
many established publishers, music and text and video alike, and the
unbelievable efflorescence of new niche-style markets still lacks a
truly workable financial model. It's a fantastic time to be a reader /
browser / scanner - but not so fantastic for publishers.
So long, Borders. Regrets in my affections. I've missed your richness
of choice for years now - you once carried books that challenged and
excited me. No more - and now, you are no more.
On 7/19/2011 10:09 AM, Eric Scoles wrote:
It's official: Borders is liquidating.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/borders-calls-off-auction-plans-to-liquidate/
I used to prefer it there over B&N. But of late, selection has been
poor and pricing non-competitive. I'm afraid it's been only a matter
of time for more than 10 years. The early decision to kill their own
online store in favor of an Amazon partnership forced me to engage in
active denial if I wanted to hold out hope for them.
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