Yesterday’s post about Borders closing down its unprofitable CD and DVD sections prompted a tip from the owner of a small music label. He says his distributor has already cut off shipments to Borders once for nonpayment (in November 2008), and on Monday the distributor warned labels that they’ll have to agree not to hold him “liable on any future shipments to Borders in case they file for bankruptcy.” Borders’ CFO left in January, which is rarely a good sign for a troubled company. And this morning, the Detroit Free Press notes that the bookseller is facing being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. We may not have to wait long to find out; CEO Ron Marshall is hosting a conference call with analysts and investors next week.
borders
Is Borders Shrinking Its CD And DVD Sections?
By 3.23.09
We received this tip from an alleged Borders employee today. According to this person, if you saw some yellow discount tags of 30% off DVDs and CDs in your local Borders store this weekend, it’s a sign that they’re closing out those sections except for top sellers. Expect to see much steeper discounts in the coming weeks. The full tip is copied below.
By 1.5.09
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Borders’ has fired their CEO and replaced him with an Amazon Kindle. Ok, not really. They’ve replaced him with “Ron Marshall, a private equity executive with experience turning around ailing companies.” Good luck, Ron. Remember, reading is FUNdamental! [NYT]
Buried Under Books, Borders Goes Above and Beyond
By 12.29.08
Reader Katie writes to us with an amazing Borders customer service story, full of love, loss, credit, and a fiery inferno of possible death. Katie’s letter inside.
By 12.28.08
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Borders gave a reader a coupon for $5 off any purchase of $5 or more. As our reader notes, “is this the right tactic for a struggling company to take?”
Christmas Creep Confessions: We Played Christmas Music On Halloween
By 11.5.08
An anonymous reader, who works at a certain bookstore, says that her manager started playing Christmas music a week before Halloween… and on Halloween itself.
These Toy Horses Are Also Educational
By 7.29.08
Ali writes, “I was at the Borders in Elk Grove, CA with my cousin when I noticed these toys in the section with iPod accessories and various other objects. The funny thing is, all the other packages behind it were exactly the same.” Now you can learn about nature, and maybe pick up some new sexual slang, while you play horse farm!
Borders Launches A Website With A "Magic Shelf"
By 5.27.08
Borders has finally decided to launch its own website (previously, its online business had been handled by Amazon.com). CEO George Jones says:
By 3.20.08
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Borders, the second largest bookstore chain, may try to sell itself to someone. [NYT]
By 3.12.08
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Borders is going to decrease its inventory by 5-10% in order to allow room for more books to be displayed with their covers face-out. Malcolm Gladwell will be so pleased. [Wall Street Journal]
Borders Corporate Email Address Format
By 12.13.07
Should you ever have need to send email to a a bunch of people there, the format for Borders Group, which owns all the Borders iterations, Waldenbooks, Schulers Books, and Books Etc, is firstinitinalfirstsevenoflastname@bordersgroupinc.com.
Congratulations, You've Earned $0.00 Borders Bucks!
By 11.3.07
Remember Allison? Borders refused to sell her a copy of Harry Potter without a plastic bag to serve as a proof of purchase. Allison recently received an email from Borders inviting her to print out a certificate to redeem $0.00 Borders Bucks. How lucrative wasteful. Allison writes:
Borders' Popular Rewards Program Proves Both Too Popular And Too Rewarding
By 10.1.07
According to the Wall Street Journal, Borders rewards program is popular. Too popular. And too rewarding. In response, Borders is cutting back the benefits and introducing a new program that it describes as “now simpler than ever” and “a new program to celebrate.”
Borders Forces Customer To Take Plastic Bag, Claims It Is "Proof Of Purchase"
By 7.31.07
A Borders cashier wouldn’t give Allison her copy of Harry Potter without a plastic bag. A mindful environmentalist, Allison refused, even after the cashier stated that the bag would serve as Allison’s proof of purchase. When Allison pointed out the absurdity of using a bag as proof of purchase when she had a receipt, the cashier:
…rolled her eyes and said that if I didn’t want the bag, I could throw it away as soon as I left the store. I exclaimed that that was certainly the least environmentally friendly thing anyone could do, and she just pushed my book, a bag, a poster and my receipt at me and said, “Next.”
Allison’s letter to Borders, and their response, after the jump.
Confessions of a Generic Magazine
By 5.8.06
Rony over at Are You Generic? sent us a link to these disestablishmentarianist stickers he hopes you’ll print out and plaster all over those three hundred page advertisement magazines conservatively injected with gray pablum content that people — for whatever incredible reason — actually pay good money for.
Borders, Waldenbooks Afraid Of Jihad
By 4.3.06
Borders and Waldenbooks have decided not to sell the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it republishes the Mohammed cartoons that provided an excuse for a bunch of medieval savages around the world to start burning down embassies, killing and rioting.
Morning Deals Round-Up
By 12.9.05
• Woot‘s pushing their own wine again. As homebrewers, we have nothing but empathy for their project. As drunks, we find the price of $55 for three bottles buzz prohibitive.
