Saturday, March 31, 2007

Another one bites the dust

Hot on the heels of the news that HMV are going to close 30 branches of Waterstones, comes yet further warnings that Real Life book sellers are a dying breed.

Borders, who own more than 70 stores (including Books etc) plan to sell up - probably by the end of the year.
2000 people will lose their jobs and writers and readers will lose yet another high street book seller ...

The indies are the only hope ... find your local bookshop here.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I heard Richard Branson is thinking of buying Borders...?

It's a sad state of affairs though isn't it - though maybe it gives a boost of life to small independents which gives writers who'd not normally make it to the big chains a chance they never had...?

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Hi Debi,
I believe there are efforts being made to save the business of the 72 Borders stores in the UK. I read (perhaps it was in The Bookseller, I honestly cannot remember, some hours ago) that Borders USA has not yet given any kind of deadline to Borders UK to close up. The possibility that it is headed towards year-end is one of assumption at the moment.
I read that Borders USA is trying to save the business somehow and there are efforts being placed on the table, to buy over. Sir Richard Branson is strongly believed to be one of the interested parties. That scoop came out just yesterday in Retail Week.
I think we won't know how many people will lose their jobs or if they will be given other options or what exactly will happen until all these things are sorted and the facts made clear.
That's my belief at the moment. We have to wait and see since there is a buzz for other hopeful opportunities at the moment, and anything...just anything different can happen.
cheers.

Unknown said...

Why don't we all chip in a bit of dough and buy a bookstore?