Borders about to sell itself... to Barnes & Noble?

[villager]

Vast literary corporate desert, here we come!

"The possibility that Borders may one day be for sale has been discussed in publishing circles for several years, but that chance became more likely with the early morning announcement from the bookstore chain that it had hired J.P. Morgan Securities and Merrill Lynch to help it explore strategic alternatives. Those options, Borders said, include the possible sale of the company and/or some of its divisions..."


http://darkforces.powbangzap.com/blog/2008/03/borders-considers-sale.html

[onehandle]

1. Crap! Where am I going to browse books and then turn around and buy them online cheaper.

Oops. Did I reveal the problem?

I do buy magazines there now and then. British design magazines for sixteen dollars a pop.

[Donnachaidh]

2. I hope they stay in business

We have a Borders and Barnes and Nobles in the same area. I've been able to find liberal writers AND a fairly good history section at Borders. And they have a fairly good music section.

Barnes & Noble? They had Neal Boortz doing a book signing not too long ago. I don't think I have to tell you the mindset of management THERE. :puke:

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Yet Borders has a long history of union-busting.

Choose your favorite devil.

--p!

[Donnachaidh]

8. Did not know that.

However, they don't charge yearly fees for their memberships, they occasionally do have real sales, and they also have a much BETTER selection overall than B&N across the street. And rather than fill the political section entirely with RW spew, they actually carry people like Chomsky, Klein, Hedges, etc. In fact, they've told me they cannot keep the liberal books stocked. And the RW stuff gets remaindered pretty quickly at Borders. :evilgrin:

[Richardo]

5. You are ill-informed. B&N is a solid blue company...

...with medical coverage for part-time employees and domestic partners. 100% records of supporting Democrats. The fact that RW assholes spend their money there just means that part of that money goes to Democrats. I call that sweet.

[Donnachaidh]

6. not in my solidly RED area they are not

The political section in this particular store is floor to ceiling RW assholes. I went in and asked if they carried Naomi Klein's latest work and they gave me a look as if I'd just asked them to lick the bottom of my shoes.

I'd MUCH prefer seeing this *bookstore* get closed than Borders.

[Richardo]

7. That's not a B&N then.

Shelf-stocking requirements come from corporate HQ in New York. Local stores have little leeway, and then only to stock local content. Booksellers are trained to look something up for you if they are not familiar with your request. The manager would have done it.

Either you're stretching the truth or you were not in a B&N.

[Donnachaidh]

9. sorry to burst your bubble

but the sign says Barnes & Noble. Want the address so you can tattle on them? :sarcasm:

[daa]

10. I am in Atl and they have

those damn books all over the store but they are piled high and it doesn't look like anybody is buying them unless they refill it every 5 minutes.

[keep_it_real]

3. It's the evolution of one company at the top of the pyramid

[villager]

11. as an author, I can say this is not a good thing -- one buyer at the sole remaining chain

can nix a book....