A number of local reports cover Borders outlets across the country that are scheduled to close on or about January 7), with liquidation sales underway in many of the covered locations. Spokesperson Mary Davis confirms to us that “approximately 17” stores will close, though she says the company is not making available a list of affected stores. From local press accounts we have accounted for 10 of those locations: Four stores are closing in California–in Los Angeles’s Westwood, downtown Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, and Carlsbad; two in New Jersey, in Nassau Park near Princeton and Marlton in South Jersey; plus […]
Bookstores
Barnes & Noble Poison Pill Approved; Aletheia Continues to Trim their Position
With no active resistance this time around from Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa, Barnes & Noble shareholders officially and “overwhelmingly” ratified the company’s poison pill plan, with 72 percent of votes cast in favor. Separately, in a periodic SEC filing, Aletheia Research & Management indicated that they have continued to trim their position in Barnes & Noble’s stock, they though still hold a substantial stake comprising just over 14 percent of all shares. In the past two months, they had a net sale of approximately 635,000 shares, now down to roughly 8.4 million shares as of November 10 after holding about 9.05 […]
Bookselling: Borders’ Relaunches Website
Borders has announced a redesign of their website. Gone is the “magic shelf” that they were excited about when they ended their agreement with Amazon and first built their own site. Highlighted verticals include sections labelled posters, crafts, and scrapbooking–which are new product lines for the site–alongside the more traditional merchandising sections. The company is promoting “new lower prices” through discounts on “more than 100,000 of its top selling” books, They’ve integrated commonplace features like expanded user reviews, working with PowerReviews. And they have partnered with UsingMiles for a “travel perks” program (which helps users manage and use their loyalty […]
Joseph-Beth Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy; Will Close Another Two Stores
Following our report from a week ago that Joseph-Beth Booksellers was closing stores in Pittsburgh and Charlotte, NC, yesterday the group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Lexington, KY and indicated that they will close another store in Cleveland and a Davis-Kidd store in Nashville. Owner Neil Van Uum said in statement, “Davis-Kidd has been an institution in Nashville. It breaks my heart to have to close this store.” Former co-owner Karen Davis was taken by surprise and “very disappointed and saddened” as well. “I think it holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts.” The company […]
Amazon Bows to Customer and Media Firestorm, Removes Self-Published Pedophilia File
Having encouraged an atmosphere of customer anger over issues like ebook pricing, Amazon experienced a surge of backlash over a reprehensible self-published ebook on pedophilia and reversed position, removing the book from their site. Phillip Greaves’ The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure was posted as a Kindle ebook on October 28, and discovered by the internet–and then worldwide media–yesterday. At first Amazon tried defending the product (sorry, but it’s not worthy of calling this file a book) and generally hiding from the media onslaught, reportedly saying the company “believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because […]
Bookselling: Borders Partners with ShopRunner, Barnes & Noble Tests Toy Boutiques
Borders is continuing their program of scrappy imitation of competitors’ offerings through low-cost partnerships, this time joining ShopRunner.com‘s roster. The site provides the equivalent of Amazon Prime–free two-day shipping in exchange for an annual membership fee of $79–across a network of participating etailers. According to ShopRunner’s site, a similar partnership with Barnes & Noble.com is “coming soon.”Release Reuters reports on Barnes & Noble‘s test program of in-store boutiques for educational toys and games. The 3,000-square-foot prototype “play areas” have opened in recent days at five stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, “with plans to open more if the […]