Seeing as I'm on vacation this week, and have plenty of time on my hands, last night I decided to make a final trip to the Borders bookstore in Victor. I remember the first time stepping into a Borders back in elementary school. My father and grandfather had discovered the store in Henrietta, across from Marketplace Mall. This was several years before rival Barnes & Noble had opened up shop in Rochester. I've always loved books, and as a little kid - a store like Borders was almost magical. Seemingly endless titles spread across a massive sales floor.
Fast-forward to last night, and it was a much different scene. Still in the parking lot, I was greeted by a huge "store closing" banner stretched across the facade - in addition to many smaller signs shouting "25% off" that were plastered across the windows. After stepping inside, it was a similar story - yellow and red liquidation posters everywhere. The music was playing overhead, but gone was the aroma of fresh coffee and book-lovers milling around looking for the next great read. Nope - the cafe was closed, its furniture stacked and price-tagged. And the people - they were looking for deals, not necessarily for those hidden gems.
Ashamed to admit it - I was among those looking for a bargain. I can't really remember the last time I was in a Borders - and I'm sure I wasn't the only one there with that particular memory lapse. I guess that's the problem in a nut shell - why the business failed. We're people who love books - but we couldn't show up to the bookstore until it was too late. While many have expressed sadness over the liquidation of the nation's second largest book seller - myself included - there are many good reasons why Borders failed. There's a reason why I can't remember the last time I was in a Borders, yet stopped in Barnes & Noble just a few weeks ago.
In a press release, Borders cited the changing book industry and e-readers as being among the challenges that led to the decision to close. These were longtime weak spots for Borders. Up until a few years ago - Borders' website was tied to Amazon.com (a website that is probably now the largest single threat to every book chain left). Amazon represents a dual-threat. By having central warehouses, or by placing orders directly with publishers, there's less of a supply-chain distribution system than what's required for brick and mortar stores. By sending items directly to the customer, Amazon can offer greater selection at a lower price. And for those who don't want to wait for a book to be delivered - they can download it in seconds on their Amazon Kindle (the most successful e-reader on the market).
The folks at Borders realized this threat too late. By the time they launched their independent online book store, many were already loyal to Amazon - or had been shopping at the Barnes & Noble's "bn.com" since its launch in 1997. Barnes & Noble was also quicker to embrace the e-reader market, with the company's "Nook" line now in second place behind the Kindle. How many people do you know with a "Kobo" - or have heard of it, for that matter? While Borders doesn't straight out own Kobo (it has 11% ownership - which is good news for Kobo owners, because the brand will continue), it was the e-reader the company invested in and promoted. Probably unfortunate, given Kobo's low popularity, and that only a fraction of the revenue went to Borders.
People like me didn't even consider the Kobo when selecting an e-reader. And while it was a tough decision between the Kindle and Nook, I bought the Nook - will all of the profits from the hardware going to Barnes & Noble, and the profits from the e-books being split between B&N and the publisher - no third party company to cut its own slice of the pie. That's a big deal, because more people every day are embracing e-readers. So much so, that e-books on Amazon are already outselling traditional books.
A few years ago, I never thought I would like reading on an electric tablet - not being able to turn the pages and take note of my progress as the pages in my left hand grew thicker. But I said the same thing about film cameras, and it wasn't long before I was clamoring for the ease of digital. While I think I can safely say "I'm done with film", the same can't be said for traditional books. There will always be a place in my life for those glossy pages filled with photographs, or over-sized diagrams of historic buildings. And it was in search of those types of books that drew me back to Borders for one last purchase, and as usual, the bookstore didn't disappoint. Hopefully all of the other traditional stores will learn how to adapt, and continue to serve generations of readers to come.
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