The End of Borders Bookstore: It's now over :_(

[quote name='shrike4242']Seeing what was picked clean at the first discount level, I doubt anything good is still left over.

Might be worth one trip just to see what's survived this long.[/QUOTE]

Depends on the Borders I guess, when I went to mine they had at least 80% of the store still just sitting around. Even at 40% the discounts aren't great. And there probably won't be anything at the 60% level besides magazines, I went when it was 30%-50%, and the only thing higher than 30% was the magazines.
 
Went today to check out what was left now that the store was 40-60 percent off, nothing worth note really. I was kinda chuckling at the computer certification books from 2008 that got dragged out , quick stop to see what manga or comic graphic novels were left and found those were just about picked clean. Couldn't even find the joke books anymore but there were row after row of Star Wars books left.
 
my borders had a decent selection of business reference and test prep stuff. the pricing wasn't all that great even with 50 percent off plus an extra 10. It was pretty comparable to Amazon, with some stuff a bit better.
 
Just got an email yesterday that my closest Borders is now closing, which sucks. There's still one about 30-45 minutes up the way that's not closing (for now), but the mall it's at is an absolute cluster fuck when it comes to parking.

I'm probably just gonna use Amazon exclusively from now on.
 
Well I the borders over in Tyson's still has some good stuff. Picked up a few soundtracks for under 10 bucks...found the Art of Resident Evil 5 for under 20 bucks!!! I was so damned lucky with this one as it was on the shelf and in good condition!

Also picked up the Goonies 25th anniversary BR SE Box set for my GF!

THANK GOD their wi-fi was still enabled so I could use my zune HD to check amazon prices...if the prices were still cheaper than borders, then I would skip the item. As for the barcode marking...hey it could be worse...they could rip the back cover off completely!

The staff there is generally nice, considering the close out. I over heard that another week or 2 is left. My guess is that they have been given orders NOT to tell customers when the last day is.

They still have some decent computer books/sci fi books... Blu rays were so so pickings...oh man it would have been awesome to have found the alien box set or matrix box set, but I think there gone :(
 
Yeah, I went by Tysons last night too . . . Deals are still fairly so-so -- 50% off on blu-rays, 40% off on CDs and DVDs, books varying but mostly in that range. Given how often they issue 40% off coupons (and even the occasional 50% off coupon) for the non-closing stores, it felt like a bit of a non-starter. For many of the things that I picked up, I found when I checked Amazon that I could get them for just about the same price there. I'm really surprised that they've sold as much of their stock as they have at that rate.

A lot of the blu-rays still weren't much of a deal at 50% off, but I picked up Tokyo! and Poltergeist. Found some CDs that I may grab if they're still there after another price drop, but couldn't quite justify them at 40% off. Didn't really bother to look at books, as I've already got a huge backlog of books to read and nowhere to store them.

However, when I got to the register, the cashier gave me an extra 10% off on top of the displayed discounts (even though I don't have Borders Rewards Plus), which was cool. If I had known about it before going to check out, I might have bought one or two more things, but at that point, we were hungry and just wanted to go get dinner.

Also realized that since the Filene's Basement closed a while ago and nothing has taken its place, that building is going to be pretty much vacant (I think there might be some offices on the upper floors, but I'm not positive -- they may have just been offices for the stores below them). As I've noted before, it's a pretty crappy location, hard to get in and out of from route 7 (especially from the west-bound side). I wonder what (if anything) will move in there.
 
Hmm... The people at the register have been using some paper with a bar code during the transaction and what I noticed it saying is enter discount %............I'm like hmmm...for real? but then he puts 10%...damn.... This is on top of my borders plus membership. I wonder what the last day will be like.............every book 1 dollar??!?!?!?!
Now that would be a mad house.
 
I'm kind of wondering whether it's worth a trip into DC this weekend to see what those stores have. Anyone know if the extra 10% off (from that paper with the bar code) is at all stores, or whether it's specific to the Tysons store?
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']THANK GOD their wi-fi was still enabled so I could use my zune HD to check amazon prices...[/QUOTE]

I don't think I even need to troll this post.
 
[quote name='arcane93']I'm kind of wondering whether it's worth a trip into DC this weekend to see what those stores have. Anyone know if the extra 10% off (from that paper with the bar code) is at all stores, or whether it's specific to the Tysons store?[/QUOTE]


No clue, All I know is that the Friendship heights and Tyson's are closing...Fairfax and Manassas are ok for now.
 
oh wait...I just looked up my receipt...OH SNAP.... I got the extra 10% as well!!

So I got that 10% + my 10% Borders Plus on top of anything % off

And I just looked at my RE5 book.... HE DIDN'T MARK THE BACK OF THE BAR CODE!!! :D

YAY!!

PAID 17 BUCKS FOR A 40 DOLLAR ART BOOK! It was still a lot cheaper than amazon!

Good deal!
 
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[quote name='ITDEFX']No clue, All I know is that the Friendship heights and Tyson's are closing...Fairfax and Manassas are ok for now.[/QUOTE]

Yup, both DC stores are closing -- K Street is closing too. If the weather's nice on Saturday, I may check out both K Street and Friendship Heights. Been too busy to get into the city much lately, but I'm finally caught up on everything for the moment, so it'll be a nice change of pace.

Tysons is the only Northern Virginia store that's closing. I guess they must do relatively well out here in the suburbs. :lol:
 
[quote name='arcane93']

Tysons is the only Northern Virginia store that's closing. I guess they must do relatively well out here in the suburbs. :lol:[/QUOTE]

You would think that with it being well traveled area that it would get some good business right? But knowing that it's a pain in the ass to get to because of it's limited access could also be a problem. I wonder if it would have survived if it was in the mall instead?
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']You would think that with it being well traveled area that it would get some good business right? But knowing that it's a pain in the ass to get to because of it's limited access could also be a problem. I wonder if it would have survived if it was in the mall instead?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, honestly, I think it's that location that killed it. I know there have been more than a few times where I've considered stopping by there when I've been out, but then decided that it wasn't worth the effort. Especially if you're coming off of the beltway, it's incredibly difficult to get in (you basically have the length of about two blocks to get across four lanes of route 7 to the turn lane). Even without that, it's kind of, relatively speaking, in the middle of nowhere, just far enough out away from everything that a lot of people probably don't even think of it (especially with B&N right there in the mall). Finally, the service in that store has been terrible for a long time -- I've already told some of my stories of dealing with them in a couple of threads here, so I won't go into them again, but let's just say they haven't done a lot to win my customer loyalty.

But yeah, I really think if they were in a better location (either one of the malls, or at least somewhere more central in Tysons), they'd have done a lot better.
 
I've had like zero problems with staff members at borders/bn. I am glad they aren't being dicks about the closure. Maybe most of them are either getting a nice severance pay OR transfer to another store with more pay? I do say they are doing a good job in keeping the place tidy as best as they can. I've seen worse in other stores.

I didn't get his name, but there is a big african american behind the register who is very friendly and helpful. He complented on my choice of getting the RE5 book and I said " Yea I really wish you guys carried the art of district 9.." and he said "They came out with one?" and I told him that Borders does carry it but on line only. :(


I agree getting off the beltway considering all this construction mess can be a pain in the ass. I teach in that area on Tuesdays. I get there in no time, but because my class gets out at 10pm, I am at the mercy of road closures and rerouting of traffic because of that construction work. Holy hell it took me over an hour to get home the other night because of the freaking 2 lane closure on 66!!!! ARGH!!!!
 
They're not getting severance (except some warehouse employees) or transfers. As for the sharpie over the barcodes, I've heard it's pretty easy to remove.

The store I went to weeks ago is probably closing pretty soon but I don't know if I can justify driving out there.
 
I was finally able to swing by one of the closing Borders in my area. For a few months my friends and I had been talking about playing D & D, yet none of us wanted to drop the $105 for the DM Guide, Players Handbooks and Monster Manual.

Get to Borders and they had one left. Snatched it for $52. Not too shabby considering one book alone is normally $35.
 
Just got an email saying Friendship Heights is in it's final days with up to 70% off...hmm.. Could Tyson's be also in it's final days? Maybe 70% will be the cut off :|
 
Just came back from Tyson's.... now with final days signs up. Everything is still stuck % wise with magazines at 70%... I totally forgot to check the strategy guide section, but did pick up Fallout:NV and the soundtrack to Public Enemies at 50% off with my 10% borders plus....seems that my recent spending has triggered an additional 5 dollars borders bucks so it helped knock things down even more! My gf got the twilight soundtracks lol. I will swing by Tuesday on the way to my night class for one final purchase.
 
I just got another email today. Looks like Wednesday might be the last day for Tyson's corner...damn it I will only be in that area on Tuesday nights.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']I just got another email today. Looks like Wednesday might be the last day for Tyson's corner...damn it I will only be in that area on Tuesday nights.[/QUOTE]

Haha, oops, got that email too and meant to go tonight, then completely forgot about it. Too late now, I'd get there just as they were closing at best. Maybe tomorrow, I guess.

I went to the Friendship Heights store this past Saturday. They had gone to 50% off on CDs and DVDs, and were still at 50% off for blu-rays as well (notably without the additional 10% off at the register, so the deal was actually worse on those). I looked around for a little while and then realized that I could use the 50% off coupon at Barnes and Noble to get whatever I wanted, rather than being limited to the crappy selection that Borders had left. So I took off and went to B&N instead.

How about that -- even toward the end of their store closing sale, Borders still isn't really a deal.
 
I stopped by Tysons Corner last night. They had a sign up that said "Last 10 Days", though who knows when it went up -- regardless, I don't think that today is actually the last day, as even a few days earlier they didn't know when their last day would be. Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs were still at 50%, books varied between 50% and 70% depending on what section they were in, and then the additional 10% off on everything at the register on top of that was back as well. They actually still had a fair amount of stuff left. I grabbed a few CDs, a blu-ray ("A Passage to India"), and a Sigur Rós DVD.

Surprisingly, though, even at 50% off and an additional 10% on top of that, the deals still weren't great on some things. I picked up a James Bond blu-ray that didn't have a price sticker on it and asked the price at the register -- $34.99, which would be $15.74 after the discounts. Given that I got all of the other James Bond blu-rays that I have for between $8.99 and $12.49 just in regular sales elsewhere . . . no. I'll just wait for it to go on sale again somewhere else instead.
 
Yea I was at Tyson's on Tuesday as well. Picked up a cd soundtrack, and two computer books. As long as it is cheaper than amazon then I am all good. So it looks like Next Friday is the last day. I over heard a customer talking to a clerk and when asked what happens to all the remaining stock if not sold he said they either throw it away since they can't send it back to the publisher or they send it to another store that is staying open. It really helps if you are a borders Plus member right now as it adds to the discounts.
 
Was at tyson's last night with the sign saying final 3 days.

Still a good amount of stuff including blu rays and dvd's. Computer books are pretty much gone. Still a lot of Manga for those looking for cheap thrills. Picked up the Wall Street 2 soundtrack, Some mirror universe star trek book and how to Armageddon survival handbook just for kicks all for 12 bucks. Seems fixtures are now 50% the tag price, but most of the good stuff has been taken by a guy named Chong.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']So was anyone at Tyson's last night? I didn't even bother.[/QUOTE]

I stopped in on Thursday and they didn't have anything left that I was interested in even at that point, so yeah, I didn't bother last night either.
 
Well on the way out from Tyson's corner I managed to take a quick drive by and noticed the store empty and mostly people coming to pick up their shelves :|

Guess the rest of the stuff is going to the other stores.

See ya later Borders in Tyson's corner.... Next up Fairfax/Manassas/Sterling
 
In typical Borders fashion . . . When I was in the downtown DC store on L Street last weekend, they gave me a coupon up at the counter for "50% off any one item" at a non-closing store, presumably to entice me to check out the stores that are still open. The paper specifically listed the addresses of the Silver Spring and Pentagon City stores on it, but the coupon itself didn't say anything on it about being restricted to any particular stores. In fact, it said on it "Valid through 5/7/11 at U.S. Borders, Borders Express, and Waldenbooks stores only" -- which to me would indicate that I should be able to use it in any non-closing Borders store.

So tonight, I went to Sterling to pick up a CD that I wanted, which only they had in stock out of any local stores. I had to wait for about 10 minutes while they dug in the back room for it (because clearly the best way to sell an item to a customer is to keep it in the back room where no one can see it), then I went up to the register. I handed the cashier the CD and my coupon.

She took one look at the coupon and said "Our manager told us not to accept these. I think they're for the closing stores." I pointed out to her that the coupon itself said on it specifically "Not valid at a closing store." She said "oh, ok, well, we can try it," and proceeded to try to scan it. It wouldn't scan, so she typed in the number. It came up in the system as invalid. She tried it a couple more times, with the same result. "Um, sorry. I've got a 40% off coupon I can give you," she said. I should have refused on principle, but I had driven all the way up there for the CD, and there aren't any other stores around that have it in stock, so I grudgingly went for it.

So basically, Borders pulled a bait-and-switch by giving me a coupon to get me into their store, and then not honoring it when I got there. And they wonder why their business is failing? Stay classy, Borders.
 
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[quote name='Demolition Man']I would of asked for an manager myself. That's pretty BS if you ask me.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I thought about it, but I decided not to bother because 1) it was fairly late on a Saturday evening; there probably weren't any real managers around at that point, and 2) I'd already been in the store for considerably longer than I had wanted to be because I'd had to wait for them to find the CD in the back, I hadn't eaten dinner yet and I was starving, and all I really wanted to do at that point was get out of there. It really just wasn't worth it.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that I've come to expect from Borders. I posted a list of some of my other, even more negative than this experiences with Borders in another thread a little while ago, though I don't remember which one right off (Edit: here). Let's just say that I'm not really surprised that this happened, and based on all of my experiences, I'm not at all surprised that Borders as a chain is in such financial trouble. All of the issues that I've encountered with them have definitely added up to me shopping there a lot less than I used to.
 
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fuck this economy.

However, questionable their business practices were, too many good people will loose their jobs.

I wish them all the best.
 
You know I got that coupon myself as well. However right now I have nothing to buy from Borders that makes me want to go and use that coupon.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Heard this on the radio this morning...damn I thought they were going to be saved... RIP borders :(

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/borders-gets-no-love-from-bidders-forced-to-liquidate.html[/QUOTE]

In the age of E-Readers, Amazon, and Target/Walmart carrying best sellers the days of brick and mortar book superstores are coming to an end. I'm amazed Barnes and Noble has managed to hold on but I think it won't be much longer for their B&M stores either. Why do you think they're pushing their Nook so hard right now? They know its going to be the future of their business.
 
The weird part is Borders is the only big book store in the city I live in, which is a college town, and to say it's thriving is an understatement. I guess it must be holding up horribly in other areas though... :/
 
[quote name='Vulgarism']The weird part is Borders is the only big book store in the city I live in, which is a college town, and to say it's thriving is an understatement. I guess it must be holding up horribly in other areas though... :/[/QUOTE]

Same with the one by my campus, but it will become a Barnes & Nobles soon enough.
 
[quote name='Vulgarism']The weird part is Borders is the only big book store in the city I live in, which is a college town, and to say it's thriving is an understatement. I guess it must be holding up horribly in other areas though... :/[/QUOTE]

Funny thing is, most of the Borders stores here (including the ones they already closed) seemed to be doing pretty well too. I honestly think it was more a matter of a lot of really, really bad decisions at the upper management end than it was business in the actual stores, no matter how much blame try to lay on Amazon, e-books, etc. Those things may have been the final nail in the coffin, but they didn't start the problem.
 
I'm pretty bummed about the death of Borders, they were lightyears ahead of Barnes in Noble as far as in store selection goes. I would find obscure Books, DVDs, CDs, etc. on the shelf on Borders, some of which weren't even available on Amazon. Barnes and Noble only stocks recent releases, and acts more like a library, leaving well worn copies of books still on the shelf for purchase. I also loved Borders coupons, which often produced the lowest prices for books. Even if I had nothing in mind to purchase, I would take the 40% off coupon and go into the store to browse and find something to buy. What a loss...
 
I hate borders and they are no loss. At all. Now if Barnes and Noble would just follow them. And hell, BAM while we're at it, being as they try to act like B&N lite now. I can't remember what year I was last in a bookstore and ALL of the employees weren't pretentious jerk-offs, not to mention that amazon makes most bookstores completely pointless.
 
[quote name='mietha']I hate borders and they are no loss. At all. Now if Barnes and Noble would just follow them. And hell, BAM while we're at it, being as they try to act like B&N lite now. I can't remember what year I was last in a bookstore and ALL of the employees weren't pretentious jerk-offs, not to mention that amazon makes most bookstores completely pointless.[/QUOTE]

With that kind of attitude, it's no wonder they were "pretentious jerk-offs" to you.
 
And once all the B&M stores are gone, people will act shocked when Amazon isn't so super sweet when there's no competition.
 
FYE would sell regular DVDs for 34.99 when you could get them pretty much anywhere else for 10-15. When they went out of business around me though it was EPIC at some of the crazy sales I got.
 
[quote name='salty tbone']And once all the B&M stores are gone, people will act shocked when Amazon isn't so super sweet when there's no competition.[/QUOTE]

There will always be some competition. For example, although they only stock major releases, Costco and Wal-Mart typically have prices that are the same and often better than Amazon on books.
 
I feel bad for all the people losing their jobs. There are a lot of nice people at my local Borders who having been working there for ages.
 
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