I don’t get it. Only 27% of adults who CAN read actually READ a book last year! 27%!
How can the tiny percentage of ‘e-book readers’ take down the book industry in this way? More like mis-management on Border’s part. Start carrying conservative authors and watch your sales revenues turn around!
The Borders in ‘The People’s Republik of Madistan’ is Commie Central. Commies and College Students aint’ got no cash for books. Idiots. Your MARKET is Conservative ADULTS who have money to pay taxes and time to READ.
I, for one, will NEVER own/read an e-book. I LOVE nothing more than the feel of a book in my hands. I never have less than three books going at a time, and I also read EVERYTHING from the back of soup cans to The Classics. :)
IMO, Borders is losing money by merit of their “liberal lay-abouts” in-store policy.
In my local store, there’s a guy with his fat ass parked on a comfy arm chair back in the arts/photography section, reading a new novel every few days.
He never buys them.
Then, they installed the cafes.
Now, I’ll go in to -purchase- the only copy available of a $60 Photoshop book, only to find the pages literally glued together by somebody’s latte’.
When the pages actually do successfully open, I find chocolate eclair smudges and cookie crumbs in the binding.
The magazines have been ripped out of their plastic bags and often, the “free software” DVD is missing.
[no RFID tags on them]
I am literally paying new book prices for obviously -used- books.
Back when all we had was a Books & Things chain, the sign that said “BUY IT THEN READ IT” was no joke.
You had about five minutes to decide before a manager came after you.
I have no problem with that.
Every time I go there, I complain to the manager, the clerks, whomever but nothing ever gets done and *now* I should pity their financial woes?
I buy 80% of my books from Amazon, now.
[they’re thriving]
And I won’t even go into the “Free WI-FI access” in every Borders.
My legitimate purchases are paying for *that* too.
I am crazy about my e-reader and carry it everywhere. I will always look for an ebook before I consider purchasing a paper book.
Borders is by far the most liberal big-box bookstore out there ... so good riddance. Barnes&Noble has definitely also suffered from the Amazon E-Book effect but they at least got their heads out of the sand and brought out the Nooks to compete with the Kindle. I just got the Color Nook for X-Mas. Absolutely love it as I specifically wanted something I could not only read books on but also be able to read color comic books. Already took it on the road and I am very pleased with it.
Thanks Swordmaker.
UPDATE 2-Borders brings in FTI on restructuring -- sources
On Jeffries...