http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/18935.html
The only thing I see happening if this goes through are Borders and Barnes & Noble stores closing in some areas...
Borders considering buying Barnes & Noble
- Thread starter C.E. Evans
- Start date
The only thing I see happening if this goes through are Borders and Barnes & Noble stores closing in some areas...
Well, I suppose it's better for Borders investors than just letting the company crumble. I wonder how they plan to use the B&N brand. Would they rename the stores or just keep the names the same (ala Waldenbooks)?
Obviously, the result is roughly the same for the rest of us: more bookstore closings.
Obviously, the result is roughly the same for the rest of us: more bookstore closings.
In the UK, the largest chain bookstore Waterstones bought out its competitor Ottakars. And then when Borders began closing down its Books Etc stores, Waterstones took the stores from them. With Borders UK now defunct, Waterstones is the only chain bookstore that remains (with the exception of W H Smith which is not a dedicated bookstore).
I complained bitterly at the time, but I'm really part of the problem. I buy books on either Amazon or AbeBooks. If I buy a book in a shop any more, it's usually a £3.86 one from Asda.
While I'd love to be able to support bookshops, they're ultimately not the best choice any more.
While I'd love to be able to support bookshops, they're ultimately not the best choice any more.
I like Borders better than Barnes & Noble, so having the store near me change hands is a good thing. That being said, competition is also a great thing, so this will be a shame in the long run.
Well, you just mentioned an example with the membership options above.
This.
And this. I buy most of my books through Amazon.com anyway, and if this consolidation goes through, that'll probably change "most" to "all."
Yeah, but its the same discounts, too.
Its not like either store is offerin' Wal-Mart type prices for their books. Hell, not even Hasting's discounts their paperbacks anymore.
I get better service at Borders, so that's my preference. If one of 'em suddenly started takin' a few bucks off the price of the paperbacks I read, they'd get my business over the other.
An interesting turn of events, considering a few years ago the talk was that B&N would buy out Borders. I prefer the B&N cafe offerings and store aesthetics, but Borders tends to have a larger (if shrinking) selection.
If you use their once or twice-weekly coupon, you can sometimes beat Amazon - I just picked up a DVD set for $41 (using the 33% coupon) that Amazon has for $50. Of course, you have to wait for the coupon, print it out, remember to take it with you, and make sure it it usable on the item you want. Not the best of worlds so the majority of my purchasing is still done with Amazon.
If you use their once or twice-weekly coupon, you can sometimes beat Amazon - I just picked up a DVD set for $41 (using the 33% coupon) that Amazon has for $50. Of course, you have to wait for the coupon, print it out, remember to take it with you, and make sure it it usable on the item you want. Not the best of worlds so the majority of my purchasing is still done with Amazon.
B&N has a 50% off Criterion movies every year, and for the most part those prices are better than where you can find them elsewhere. Doing price comparisons beforehand and finding the good coupons can net you good deals.
But one time I was at Borders and someone bought the Alien Quadrilogy DVD box set, which was like $40-$50 higher than at any old Best Buy. And at B&N a family was buying a Disney movie for their kid and it was double the cost of what Best Buy or Target was selling it for. They really take impulse buyers to the cleaners.
But one time I was at Borders and someone bought the Alien Quadrilogy DVD box set, which was like $40-$50 higher than at any old Best Buy. And at B&N a family was buying a Disney movie for their kid and it was double the cost of what Best Buy or Target was selling it for. They really take impulse buyers to the cleaners.
Heck, I can't even find any used book stores where I live anymore because of it. They simply can't survive among the big box store.
At a minimum, a greater chance of variety. If prices stay the same for both, odds are it's either because there isn't enough competition (two stores isn't a lot) or because that's the lowest price they could get and still operate.