Bankrupt - Borders Book Store

Since the 1970's, Borders Bookstores have been a place of comfort and peace for millions of shoppers. Their unique strategy of offering a cozy place to shop, with tens of thousands of highly trained employees was a winning one that earned the company billions in sales. But, it all came crashing down in 2011 and now, the brand is non existent. Join me today as we find out why.

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Bright Sun Films 2024

Presented in 4K

[maqaroon]

Borders deserve credit for their support of comics, manga and books aimed at young people. They had a partnership with Tokyopop, one of very few publishers who developed OEL (original english language) mangas and worked with english speaking creators. Borders gave aspiring artists and writers the chance to see their work distributed on an international level that was really a dream come true. There was a lot of exploitation going on from the publisher side which was a whole different story, but Borders wasn't part of that. They simply fulfilled the dream of letting many creatives see their work on a bookstore shelf for the first time (myself included) and that was amazing. Really sad to see them go

[reznorthecat]

For years, I used to nestle in the chairs, drink coffee, & buy hundreds of dollars of books.

I inevitably worked at Borders in I want to say 2006-2007 part time. It was one of my most favorite places to work, my boss was amazing & the perks were amazing.

When my store closed, I bought a few magnets, a few signs, & I so wanted to buy one of the bookshelves but so was a poor struggling college student in a tiny apartment. Hardcore regret. But I still kept my badge, kept my magnets, & the lovely gratis of books my boss gave me.

One of the best memories of my 20s.

[leatheryfoot]

I was devastated when Borders closed. It was literally my favorite bookstore. Two story cafes, giant manga and comic sections, sufficient seating for customers. V

[sarahkorus]

As someone who literally opened a Borders and then closed a store at the end - this one stings. I was there for nearly four year and I LOVED working there. The end was pretty traumatizing especially since the staff had poured so much love and passion into our store. I cried the day I came into work and saw the Going Out of Business signs plastered everywhere.

[celieboo]

When I was in medical school, I studied at Borders Books in Toledo, OH frequently. Initially, I liked Borders better than Barnes and Noble simply because the tabkes were bigger. As time went on, I found that the atmosphere in Borders was brighter and more cheery. My best friend and I always studied at a bar height table in the Cafe that sat 6 people. A few years after I graduated, they went out of business. I went to the store and inquired about the furniture. They said, "we haven't started selling it yet, but we are keeping a list of items that people are interested in. It will be first requested is first called. What item are you interested in? I will tell you that most of the Cafe furniture is already claimed. We are 3 pages in."
Feeling kind of down, I showed them the table that I was interested in. Miraculously, no one had expressed interest in it. A week later, my husband and I hauled the table and the 6 chairs that came with it home for $400. We refinished them, and they sit in our game room in our basement. It is a reminder of the wonderful memories about the many hours I spent at Borders Books.

[FSAPOJake]

THIS one saddened me. I always thought Borders had a better selection and way way better atmosphere than Barnes & Noble.

[weston]

I loved Borders - I turned 16 in 2001 and after getting my driver's license and then going to dinner with my family, it was the very first place I drove to by myself so I could buy a CD 😎

[deloreandorian]

I exist thanks to Borders, my parents meet there as co-workers in 1998. My Dad left by around the time I was born in 2000 but my Mom stuck with the company well into my childhood. I remember going there all the time as a kid, seeing her locker in the backroom, and listening to songs on those music stations. Borders is a huge hit of nostalgia for me, thanks for making this video. :)

[Joybearer]

I’m from Singapore and the former existence of Borders here in the past helped me get through a tough period of my life. It was so comfortable, I would buy a book and sit at the cafe and enjoy it all. Hours upon hours could be spent there. I can still remember the smell.

[TheRealChristopherB]

My absolute favorite childhood memory was of me, my brothers, mom, and grandma spending an evening at Toys R Us, and Borders.

So much of that memory no longer exists now and it’s evokes feelings of melancholy as much as it does joy.

[newodkin]

As a 25 year employee of the company, looks like you got everything pretty much correct. We store managers saw it coming ever since the late '90s, leading to some contentious regional manager meetings. The bigwigs choice to ignore us, though, and instead offered an almost annual change of CEOs in the Waldenbooks division. One thing the video doesn't mention is that Borders expanded into Airport bookstores as well, starting--I think--with Reagan airport and then ultimately two at the Cincinnati airport in Kentucky (don't ask)! By the time I was managing one of those in 2008, upper management knew less than nothing about book retail and seemed almost to be purposely undermining our sales on a regular basis. Bookselling is NOT something just anyone can do. It's a CALLING. Ask any longtime bookseller!

[fawh]

Borders's closing was part of the reason why a mall near me got de-malled in the late 00s. Super interested to see how it got to that point!

[anoriginalusername]

There was a Borders Bookstore in Building 5 of the World Trade Center. It was one of the most successful locations and was still there when the attacks happened.

[csiprincess]

I have fond memories of Borders. My grandpa used to take my sister and I on “Borders Runs” and we’d go listen to music and look at books and just hang out. He died in 2004 and those are still some of my best memories with him. ❤

[luiszapata]

Random fun fact: Borders closing its doors had a major affect on the Anime industry in the west to such a degree that contributed to slump the years after 2008

[RosieMe]

This video is a great reminder to support local small business book stores, they still exist! Big business rises and falls while doing little for (and even hurting) its communities, so shop small whenever you can.

[kwd]

In the 90s, when I was between places to live, i would always go to Borders and read and relax in one of their comfortable chairs. The store had a cozy atmosphere and there were lots of nooks and quiet places to sit and read. Another plus was this Borders was open till 11pm. I used to feel sad when I would leave near closing time since that would be the last roof over my head for the night. I stayed in my car of course, I was one of those invisible homeless people who worked during the day. Things got better for me but unfortunately not for Borders. I miss that place. This Borders was in San Mateo, California.

[maddiemaccheese]

I loved Borders!!! I practically grew up in their stores and the library. Once it closed, I tried to switch to Barnes and Noble, but it just never felt the same.

[LedosKell]

As someone who doesn't drink coffee, Borders had a unique way of making me wish I did when I walked in that other places just don't. Whatever coffee brands they had just smelled great and it always made for a pleasant experience when shopping.

[davis]

The Border’s in downtown Indianapolis was so cool, one of my favorite places to visit as a kid. It was a historic bank and was beautifully converted to a flagship bookstore. It’s now a bank again, so at least it’s still in use.