Bankrupt - Borders Book Store

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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

[@daviejz6698]

“ Original English Language Manga “. You mean like comic books? 😂

[@strayiggytv]

I never bought anything from the hdm because their prices were so high plus I could never navigate the aisles with manga because the floor would be littered with teen weebs reading the merch but not buying it like it was a library

[@maqaroon]

@@daviejz6698 The vast majority of mangas are licensed and translated from Asian publishers. OEL is an industry term that specifically refers to comics drawn in manga style by artists living outside Asia.

[@calciumrods1779]

@@daviejz6698 I think the main difference between the two is the vibe. English Manga has the same vibe as, well, manga. I immediately think of Megatokyo.

[@bartlett2335]

So basically white people trying to insert themselves in an Asian product by cosplaying as “mangaka” lol it’s called comic books. Just like Kraft American cheese isn’t Roquefort and you can’t have a burgundy wine from Ohio. American imperialist chauvinism durrrr we can make manga too durrrr grow up

[@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.

[@celieboo]

I got one of their tables and 6 chairs.

[@pokemonyugiohmettaton]

Man, time is so weird to me. Thinking about how you were an adult, working a job, when my sibling was an infant, is just crazy to me. Sounds like a lovely memory :)

[@lt_johnmcclane]

@@pokemonyugiohmettatonthink of how strange it would be if time didn’t work this way

[@YW2324]

Amazing glad you have those memories 😊

[@kellychuang8373]

Also used to be there too and sad it went then again highly doubt that place would last to our times considering the pandemic and inflation among all those nasty book bans, homelessness and also people getting angry about who knows what or screaming THINK OF THE CHILDREN! along with what is melting Little Billy, Susie or whatever kids name is these days or turning kids into bad people it's like seriously.

[@FSAPOJake]

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

[@58jharris]

Yes the non-fiction areas in Borders in particular were really good. Definitely better than B&N's have ever been.

[@randomtinypotatocried]

Everytime I got to B&N there is so many destroyed books on the shelves. Never had that issue at Border

[@ja8ames]

The atmosphere did seem more "friendly" at Borders to me, compared with Barnes & Noble.

[@williamchy7817]

I remembered that the Borders in my area had a pretty big Starbucks inside.

[@priscillaemerald987]

Here, here. *raises glass*

[@sarahkorus994]

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.

[@horrorghoul]

They lined us up and told us. It was heartbreaking

[@kellychuang8373]

Yeah also used to go through there and sad it went as well and even more depressing some of those books there are really under threats from bans which you can also look up and really can't deal in our times now.

[@richardvickrey4786]

I never worked at Border's but definitely was both a fan & a supporter. Lived in Houston, TX most of my adult life. Obviously a major city with a rich tapestry of a retail environment, at least once upon a time. Forgive me for waxing nostalgic, but if anyone thinks things are better now that Elon Musk, Amazon, Walmart & the Fascistic MAGA party have collectively claimed so much power over so many lives, well, you're wrong. 💙

[@TheGrabblersGolem]

​@@richardvickrey4786 what the fuck are you talking about

[@oldschoolel]

As a former employee, I can totally relate to your story. It was a phenomenal workplace. They had great benefits. I remember my middle class parents telling me that I needed a better job; that retail could never match the health insurance that I was accustomed to having while being their dependent. I was managing a Waldenbooks at the time I had my first child. (What began as a college job became a job of passion & convenience, later. -I just did not want to leave!) I remember my mother picking up a prescription for me post-partum. She could not believe that my health insurance paid for so much, better than her insurance prescription copay. Here, she thought she would have to "help me financially" since I worked retail. NOT SO! My financial stability would only fall apart with the 20% employee discount at Borders and 40% employee discount at Waldenbooks. Alas, I found working holidays and nights unappealing as a parent. So, I reluctantly ended my tenure with BGI. 6 months after my departure, my store closed. I, honestly, did not see it coming. We had a stable customer base in our area and plenty of mall traffic. Our store just fell victim to the first round of Chapter 11.

[@leatheryfoot6354]

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

[@JohnVance]

Borders was my happy place as a teen.

[@dancooper6002]

Borders, like other retail failures in the last four decades, was a victim of the decline of the middle class. Retailers like Borders existed to serve the middle class, and when the decline of manufacturing led to the decline of real wages and the collapse of the middle class the retailers were going to collapse too. The idea that Amazon did this is a myth, these stores declined long before Amazon was even a meaningful player. Amazon is a symptom, not a cause. It is a symptom of an economy based on falling real wages where the race to the bottom on price becomes the only metric of competition. A root cause analysis shows that bad industrial, trade, tax, economic, environmental, labor, fiscal, and foreign policies led to the collapse of American manufacturing and the middle class it supported. Middle class luxuries like retail shopping in the form of stores like Borders were just another victim of this change.

[@leatheryfoot6354]

@@dancooper6002 yet another casualty of the 2008 financial crisis.

[@dancooper6002]

@@leatheryfoot6354 The crisis was more of the final blow than the root cause, but yes, the crisis certainly did a few in. Paradoxically however, it also served as life support for those that made it through. Because after 2008 the Fed made debt basically free for almost a decade, so chains could live off of cheap borrowing. That is why you saw a series of collapses around 2018-2019 (Toys R Us, Herbergers, etc.) that were caused by interest rates finally rising and cutting off the life support. People incorrectly thought those stores were killed by Amazon, but they had actually been dead since 2008 and on life support with cheap money.

[@TheRoland444]

@@dancooper6002 This is excellent insight on the decline of the "middle class" (actually working class) is deliberately overlooked by mainstream media pundits as a reason for the retail apocalypse. If the economy isn't circular, it eventually must collapse, it just takes time in spite of short term gimmicks to try to stave the eventuality.

[@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.

[@NinjaRunningWild]

Awesome story!

[@CoconutDreams123]

Beautiful story, celieboo ... Shout out, Toledo! 🙂

[@bikerjon8934]

🥲

[@volvo1354]

used to go there with a friend, enjoyed taking the Tarta bus to Franklin Park mall. people watch from the second story were the offices were located. then, visit the food court. then, go to the book store and read the rest of the day. hope Franklin Park never goes the way of other area malls and stays economically healthy. reading interesting books while enjoying exotic tea on cozy furniture is an experience you can no longer have outside the home.

[@josie_the_valkyrie]

That’s a great story! Thanks for sharing!

[@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.

[@LeeMW007]

Yes, definite miss the original Borders at Wheelock Place.

[@weston407]

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 😎

[@kellychuang8373]

That's also nice used to also be there at sometime as well sadly it's gone along with Blockbuster, Bed , Bath and Beyond and Toys R US among who knows going to the great retailer in the sky.

[@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. :)

[@kellychuang8373]

Also can say thanks for this as well really sad that part went used to be there at the time.

[@devrod5862]

things come and go, but our soul remains forever, and the only way to keep our soul well into eternity is to submit to, repent, obey, get baptized, and follow Jesus all the way to the end.

[@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.

[@wheressteve]

Time marches on but the memories remain.

[@kwas101]

What a lovely comment! I spent many a happy time with my daughter at both of these places too.

[@MissionHorizonz]

Any chance it was in Eatontown Nj?

[@kellychuang8373]

I can also say good video and used to go there and bought books and DVD's there as well when it was around. Along with knowing that sooner or later this part was going to hit around really sad state of affairs our times are now in.

[@kwd3109]

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.

[@anoriginalusername22]

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.

[@chinese_t1920]

IIRC, after the attacks, it was the most intact structure and looked as if barely anything had happened.

[@luckyguy600]

I didn't know that. Interesting indeed. And 1 somewhere in Canada too. Will have to check out the location and year.

[@aafjeyakubu5124]

Any time I would visit the city, I would swing by this Borders and just chill for a bit. I loved that there was a Borders in lower Manhattan.

[@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!

[@jestucker2268]

When Borders and Barnes & Noble were bidding for the rights to Ingram Distribution (one of the largest book distribution companies in the world) and Borders walked away from the table in the late 1990's/early 2000's, it was a matter of time... You don't let your biggest competitor buy the company that distributes your products. Had Borders stuck it out, Barnes & Noble could have been the subject of this video instead.

[@davidl.4297]

LOL...Waldenbooks did NOT have an annual change of CEO's. Not sure what company YOU worked for.

[@user-yf1oo6lg5t]

@@davidl.4297 he was using an exaggeration. That's why he wrote "almost".

[@lostinwonderart]

Ron Stafeiri (sorry forgot how to spell his last name) was the CEO for like forever. And he actually knew Waldenbooks managers. I remember him sitting with us at a meal at a meeting and actually listening to us. I got new carpet for my store from that discussion, because he LISTENED.

[@Revkor]

the comignthign nowadays. all ofthese company are lead by people that went into Business school but don't know the actual busniess

[@luiszapata3897]

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

[@kellychuang8373]

That also is something to know and also even more bad news the Funimation brand went too anyway also check that out as well really a lot of things now have really gone under and are under attack including look up the latest book bans now too.

[@MaxxRemKing1]

😮

[@startedtech]

Anime? Or manga?

[@kellychuang8373]

@@MaxxRemKing1 Yes really shocking.

[@kellychuang8373]

@@startedtech In that place you can really do both though manga is a lot longer than anime.

[@addicted2bass87]

My mom was an avid reader her whole life. We would always joke that she was a VIP/celebrity at our small town library. For years on Mother's Day we would go out to breakfast and afterwards make the trip to the closest Borders. I loved wandering around the place as a kid and reading all the car and video game magazines we didn't have at our local grocery store. One year we went and the store was closed. Now I know why. Thanks Jake for providing the thorough backstory and for taking me on a trip down memory lane. My mom passed away last year after a decade long battle with cancer. But, I will always have those memories of Mother's Day breakfast and Borders Books.

[@maddiemaccheese8170]

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.

[@moondra3481]

I am nodding in agreement with your comment ❤❤😢

[@fire34fly]

Me too, I could never be at Barnes and Noble for too long, it was just so sterile in there and there were never any seats. I get it's a bookstore but Borders really made it so much more personable to view and buy books, the difference for me was like night and day.

[@kellychuang8373]

With times like they are now and with not just Borders, Blockbuster, Toys R Us and a whole lot of businesses either closed, bankrupt and facing scandals for misdeeds it really has changed times and even Nickelodeon is not safe either since there's now news of shocking parts of that brand coming to life anyway Google and KZbin all about it.

[@bigbearkat2010]

I always liked going to Barnes and Noble as a kid though to be fair my area never seemed to have a Borders nearby for whatever reason

[@maddiemaccheese8170]

@@bigbearkat2010 Makes sense lol, B&N is a nice store too but I grew up super close to a Borders and B&N has always been a bit of a hike to get to so totally fair

[@csiprincess3]

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. ❤

[@fawh7]

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!

[@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.

[@aliceg6373]

“Seattle’s Best Coffee”!!! My sis said their coffee was the best around and that company had an amazing mix for their hot chocolates. I miss the cocoa trios 😭😭😭

[@Wildcat_Media]

My local Borders faced the freeway that I now take every day to go to work. After it closed, it was soon taken over by a Marshall’s. Even that store has closed now. But that building is always going to be Borders to me and I think about it whenever I drive through that area. I miss Borders.

[@davis6123]

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.

[@profoundcake]

I have so many memories of that building as a kid. I love books and architecture so it was a perfect mix. The one in Castleton had the cozy vibes going for it too.

[@RosieMe5]

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.

[@Daniel_Scott89]

Man I miss Borders. It was such a great store. It had a small bookstore feel but on a larger scale if that made sense. It was fantastic.

[@ashle.y2k]

My family actually has a piece of Borders history in our house-when they closed the Singapore branch down, they decided to sell quite literally everything, including the signs that would hang from the ceiling telling you which genre of books you were looking at. My mom bought a few of these out of her love for Borders, and they're now part of our home decor!

[@brooksrownd2275]

When you say "bookstore giants" my mind conjures up the epic mall era competition between B. Dalton Booksellers and Waldenbooks.

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

I visited Waldenbooks when at the malls, D. Dalton never grew on me.

[@brooksrownd2275]

@@user-mv9tt4st9k I was more partial to B Dalton for whatever reason, but of course shopped both.

[@bigbearkat2010]

My mall had a B. Dalton until a Barnes and Noble popped up on the other side

[@luckyguy600]

Coles Books and the "World's Biggest Book Store' in Toronto hold memories for me. Coles were all over Canada. I would go from one to the next always buying books that I could learn from. Kids today? Sorry, they as a group know nothing. That was the plan for them I guess, but not my age group.

[@tamaragorman7421]

My family was crushed when they closed. When I was a student at UCDavis in Calif, I was part of the original crew and helped open the first and only Borders Books in Davis. Even after I got pregnant and had high-risk conditions, they were awesome about it and moved me off my feet and into the office helping with accounting etc. That baby, my son, loved going to Borders in whatever town we visited. As far as books, genres, and collections they had the other big stores beat for sure. And of course, the Borders' cafe was always the best lounge area with weekly open mic sessions. Loved it!

[@jestercinti]

My mother worked at Borders in Indiana in the mid-1999s. She would dress up and read stories to small children in the kids section.

[@karamullarky3527]

I was the story time person for years at a PA Borders. Also dressed up as the storybook characters. My kids remember me in those costumes!

[@cgimovieman]

As someone who grew up in Michigan and loved book stores growing up in the 80’s and 90’s and even today, I really miss Borders. I’ve lived in central Florida now for 26 years, and I can still point out where at least 3 Borders locations used to be in my area. Waldenbooks was also what I remember always being the main book stores in most of the malls around me growing up. I’ve really struggled to adapt at all the past 11-13 years, with so many stores and other physical places that I love going away. Either reducing to just about ⅓ of their former locations, or going away completely in most cases. I do still have Barnes & Noble in my metro, but while we used to have about 8 locations, we now have only about 3 or 4. And those locations are not what they used to be either. Very threadbare furniture, shelves, and woodwork, empty nooks where computers and customer service kiosks used to be, open areas that used to have more shelves of books or comfy armchairs, and virtually empty areas that used to have movies and music. It’s very depressing for me. As human beings, we need physical places and things. I don’t like everything just existing in cyberspace or “in the ether” so to speak. I find myself wandering around with nowhere to go anymore, or more often just being at home wanting to go out somewhere. But I do miss Borders a bunch. It was a nice alternative to Barnes & Noble sometimes, and just a pleasant place.

[@yupitsjessbbyx3]

The one that became a Tesla dealership hurts me the most

[@stratcat4450]

@cgimovieman I too moved from Michigan 30 years ago to central Florida. Although I never hung out to much at bookstores or malls I do have fond memories of boarders. I did once step into the original location in Ann Arbor as my sister lived in grass lake mich. I always liked boarders far better than barnes an noble. We still have one in my town an especially these days it sucks! Over the years I have acquired many hard to find albums an CD's at boarders that you never would find at barnes an noble and it was truly a nice place to hang out.

[@danielzhang1916]

yeah Barnes and Noble started consolidating like 10 years ago, fewer locations now than before

[@fire34fly]

This one hits me right in the gut, I would go to Borders almost everyday after school and me and my grandma would take the bus and go to the one near her house and she would buy me a book and cookie. Barnes and Noble was never like Borders for me, it felt so much less personable and cozy for some reason.

[@bigguy1960]

I live in Michigan and I LOVED Borders. They had a great store in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, and I loved to go there and browse because they had a LOT of obscure titles and variety, and their employees could find anything. Unfortunately, towards the end, they became a lot like Waldenbooks in that they only carried the most popular, biggest sellers. I remember that they originally had a whole wall of books on architecture, by the end they only had half a shelf.

[@Karmy.]

So much nostalgia for the one in Taylor (Southland)

[@amandaallen9364]

Novi! And you’re right about the selection, it was amazing, and really set it apart for so long.

[@alliechotikul1621]

i googled pictures of borders and it took my back to five years old. thank you for covering this jake!!

[@tigerv88]

I loved Borders in UK, no pressure selling and you could essentially treat it as a library. The demise is a great example of a business not able to horizon scan the future customer need or shape to new technologies. If they had got an econmerce at right time and got in with the e-readers it could have positioned them better. Instead the cutting of the very quality service markers that customers liked, such as knowledgable staff , ultimately led it to liquidation. Great video.

[@jeremy____5747]

I remember hearing weird stories about the last days of Borders from workers there. They knew in advance that the final closing sales discounts would get deeper the closer to the end they got but that by the end everything good would be bought. So they opened wall panels and hid stock of things they themselves wanted until the last day or so the stores were open, then took them out and bought them themselves at a huge discount. Imagine buying like what had been $1000 worth of books for 90 percent off or something.

[@cadentan9083]

I can’t lie I probably would have done that with a couple books I wanted.

[@kittylynndale5264]

If I’d had the money, I would’ve had a multi thousand dollar bill AFTER the discounts!

[@jeremy____5747]

​@@cadentan9083I think the managers even knew they were doing and were in on it too. Imagine the very last day, they've locked the doors, but the registers haven't been closed out yet and your boss says okay everyone get your hidden stashes out. It was their own personal form of severance pay.

[@aruglaempire2518]

Why not? They were retail employees, got no benefits, low salary and horrible hours. That was the employees only perk.

[@sarahkorus994]

As a former employee there at the very last day - I didn’t participate in this since there wasn’t much left but I bought a bunch of stuff when stuff was about 75% off and then went and sold the stuff at local bookstores because I HAD NO INCOME.

[@sixmike]

Been waiting for this one. I worked at Borders from '06 to '08 as a teen while my mom happened to work at a neighboring Barnes + Noble. B+N was preparing to roll out the Nook and it was a huge deal for them internally while we were hearing nothing about a Borders equivalent. When I left for college and came back a year later to work the holiday shift, everything had changed and very few of the new hires knew enough about books to fill out those recommendation shelves. In just a few months, it felt like the bottom had totally fallen out.

[@tyrillium1744]

I live in Ann Arbor and literally was walking past that CVS as I was watching this...what a world

[@luckyguy600]

Interesting that the brothers 'take the money and run' like the song. I wonder how they did? Other ventures perhaps other than watching their K-Mart stocks go down the tube. Slowly at first, and then rapidly.

[@jeffmcintoshmusic]

The CD listening area was hands down the reason I went there as a kid in the 90's/early 00's. To get to listen to a whole record before deciding to buy was CLUTCH

[@DennisMarion]

Thanks for this! It irrationally made me cry. I miss the 90s/00s sometimes…

[@samspencer1906]

I live in Manchester in the UK and Borders was found in every high street, mall and retail park. It was a shame when in 2009 every location fell into liquidation (our equivalent of chapter 7 bankruptcy) among so many other stores its crazy how many iconic brands we've lost. Love your content by the way Jake, watched abandoned since the very beginning and loved closed for storm!

[@markcallaghan1378]

I live in Manchester also. I was just thinking of the locations in the city where the stores used to be. It did not take long for the stores to disappear once they closed.

[@PhilDonaldson]

Borders became my go to bookstore. My favorite location in New Jersey had jazz on Friday nights. I came very close to getting misty while watching this video. So sad to see how online stores have destroyed brick and mortar businesses. But I guess that’s progress. Still, I cherish the happy memories of perusing (and buying) books, magazines music and getting a snack at Borders. It was a great place to relax and learn.

[@billwilliams5352]

I was a bookseller for Brentano's, then Waldenbooks Superstore, which became Basset, which became Borders. I witnessed how retail can feed upon itself which is why I finally quit.

[@caitlinmccloud7431]

I remember the reward system they had was trash. Like spend $500 to get a $5 off. And the lady that worked there was so mean she got mad every time I asked for help finding something. My local one was absolute trash but after the location closed it turned into a library which I actually loved.

[@PraveenSriram]

I’m sorry you got such poor service back then

[@rowanalexandriabennett]

Great video as always, Jake! Thanks so much for having me as a sponsor for your video; while it does sting right in the nostalgia to be a part of an episode about the bankruptcy of my childhood book store, I'm so happy to see you do its story justice.

[@BrightSunFilms]

This might be the first time an individual, as a sponsor for the video, has commented on an episode! Thanks for being a part of this video!

[@GoddessofWisdom]

I looove that your sponsor is an indie book/author, as a wannabe self pub author myself that warms my heart

[@flacht_6]

So cool seeing an independent author get themselves out there, I’m going to give it a read!

[@rowanalexandriabennett]

Thanks so much! It was really cool to partner with a creator who shared that interest! I hope you enjoy my book!

[@rowanalexandriabennett]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy my book!@@flacht_6

[@Zizumia]

My family went to Borders as our main book store. It was so weird to watch the brand just disappear. I remember our local Borders was usually busy, never showed signs of struggling. Then it was gone. I always wondered what happened to Borders. Seeing how they decided to go from chapter 11 to chapter 7 bankruptcy makes a lot of sense now.

[@JamesLawner]

There are MANY Borders stores in the UAE, not just one. There’s also 3 in Qatar, a few in Oman, and one in Kuwait (which ironically doesn’t sell ANY books! Just toys and stationery). Also, from my personal experience with the UAE stores, some don’t even have a magazine section, they never sold physical media like DVDs and CDs (at least as far as I can remember), and at some point they did sell graphic novels and collected editions around the early 2010s or so, but then just stopped. Anyways, I’m glad you made this video (it’s been one I’ve been waiting for years).

[@Howard007]

I grew up going to Border’s & my parents would get the Seattle’s Best coffee from the coffee shop while I read books in the amazing kids section with seating everywhere… then i’d go upstairs and buy a new season of a tv show i loved or movie on DVD every Friday. Border’s was the best. I also remember waiting for the midnight release of Harry Potter books!

[@pigguy]

Loved going to the Border's in New Orleans. It was in a huge, gorgeous old Victorian building that had once been a funeral home....fitting I suppose. Spent hours and hours there, and still have every single book I bought from them. It's a grocery store now

[@BiblicallyAccurateAngel.]

bankrupt has got to be one of my favorite series

[@kathryncoffey8961]

My favorite Borders store is now a medical center. It was two floors, and I remember my Nana taking me there often. I also remember waiting for one of the later Harry Potter books in a PA Borders with my dad. It was a neat store full of good memories.

[@Rhewin]

Medical groups must love it or something. The one I went to is now an urgent care clinic.

[@Lady_Zelda]

The one in Tampa, Fl is also a medical center now.

[@papersage69]

The same thing happened to my favorite one as a kid. It was in the Meyerland Plaza area of Houston, Tx.

[@papersage69]

I remember mine had the kids section that was in a nook that wrapped around the stairs going up. It was so warm and had many pockets to it. So to me at the time it was like a little hideaway with colorful books and close cozy space.

[@nfinzer22]

God I miss the paperback smell of a Waldenbooks in a mall. I loved Borders back in the 2000s. The fact that you could listen to ANY CD blew me away. They’d just open the shrink wrap and let you listen, unlike Hot Topic which just had 5 CDs you could listen to that they selected. Plus the cafe. I loved to get a toasted bagel with cream cheese. I’d spend so much time there. I’d skip school to spend the day at Borders. I read at least one whole book in a comfy chair before buying it.

[@aufschnitt111]

Borders was a fantastic place to be a kid in the late 90's. I still remember the deep blue/purple carpet with the sun motif in the children's section. I spent hours there, just wandering. I loved the CD listening stations in the music section, the smell of coffee, looking up books on the Title Sleuth kiosk, and buying Pokemon booster packs at the front counter. There was always a really gentle stream of jazz playing over the speakers. It was such a cozy place.

[@huhseiwhat]

thank you for the atmospheric comment - I loved my local Borders so much, but my visual memory is bad, and I'd forgotten details like that ;;

[@user-li6es1so1k]

I have a friend who worked at Borders for a little more than a decade - the last decade of the Borders' existence. Not long after she started, corporate switched the employee 401(k) to invest solely in Borders stock IIRC. Shares were valued at around $20USD at the time. When Borders finally folded, shares were worth much less than $1USD per share. She now works at a Books-A-Million that is located in a former Borders store.

[@gotworc]

What's the point of this comment

[@user-li6es1so1k]

@@gotworc Just to point out that the Borders bankruptcy cost employees more than just their jobs. It also wiped out the Borders 401(k) accounts of those employees who had them.

[@dindog22]

you need to do a deep dive on whatever company makes those yellow and black store closing signs. they must be doing a bang up business the past few years

[@luckyguy600]

Unfortunatly. You ain't seen nothin' yet

[@TXnine7nine]

I made a brief dive into ebooks but realized I missed paper too much. IMO nothing will ever beat the feel of a physical book in my hand and that sense of accomplishment you feel as the amount of paper in your right hand gets to be less and less the further you read. And don’t even get me started on the smell of old books.

[@mustlovepretzels]

Justin Hayward(The Moody Blues) made an appearance at the Border's location in Springfield, Pa. when he released his solo album "View From The Hill"(1996). Over 500 people showed up. Thanks Bright Sun Films. Cheers! 🥨

[@MultipleOffenses]

I used to spend a lot of hours at various Borders locations. Grab an Earl Gray tea, head to the music section, check out the stuff at the listening stations, then head to the books. It was rare that didn't walk out without buying something. Always preferred Borders to B&N, which had such a stuffy atmosphere in comparison, at least to me. I still can't believe that B&N has somehow survived whiles Borders is no more.

[@kwas101]

I'm from Sydney, Australia. I have so many fond memories of Borders. Our local store had a coffee shop inside, where my young daughter and I spent many an after school day. I even remember when she was a toddler, sitting in the pre-school books, trying to read (she's a high school history teacher now!). I agree with the high level of customer service, all of the staff at the store seemed very knowledgeable and always had a smile and were very friendly. I was pretty sad when it closed. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Thanks for the video!

[@JaseyRae]

Yep, also a Sydneysider here myself as well, I remember spending a lot of time in the Westfield Parramatta and Macquarie Centre branches of Borders, usually stuck in the Gloria Jeans Coffees in the stores themselves. I really miss the store as a quiet hang out spot as well, as I was reading books while drinking coffee or frappes at the same time. The store in Parramatta is now occupied by a Timezone arcade, before that a Phoenix Chinese restaurant, while the location in Macquarie Centre, North Ryde is now a JB Hi-Fi.

[@OGKingBob]

I worked for Borders in Bournemouth in the UK about 2007 or 8. I really loved that store. It made books feel special and had a really good atmosphere.

[@Banzai51]

I ran into a former Borders exec while in Ann Arbor and he said the same thing you did. The 90s redesign with expansion of floor space for Music and Movies left them with not enough capital to change with the times. And because of their overhead, they couldn't price CDs and DVDs to match their competitors. For him, the final nail was the Amazon deal, which is something they should have been able to do on their own.

[@gwynn2528]

We had the craziest labyrinth of a book store in my tiny home town in the 90’s. It went out of business because of Amazon. I have since moved countries and the country I am now in made it a law, when Amazon was in its book selling phase, that books couldn’t be sold cheaper online than in books stores. Now once again I live near a rambling book store that seems to go on forever full of books. It’s so great that this process of buying books was preserved somewhere, that generations of people get to know this feeling of an endless bookstore full of great books to discover. I only just wish I was better at reading the local language I feel like that guy in that Twilight Zone episode 😂😭

[@MasterMayhem78]

I really enjoyed finding a book and sitting for a coffee inside the store. Was always relaxing.

[@heatherashbaker4529]

Thanks for bringing back good memories of Borders. Spent a lot of my younger years there. Was a great bookstore.

[@claytonbouldin9381]

I still have my Borders card. Great store! My friend and I used to hang out at the Borders in by Lenox Mall in Atlanta. I was sad to see it go out of business.

[@pandersonnike]

I miss Borders. I was a big fan of going into their stores growing up in the late 90s through mid-2000s. It had a good vibe. Not too different from Barnes and Noble, but I enjoyed the big book store chains. It was fun to browse at many different topics, and it was a nice place to roam around. Not too loud, idle chit chats, decent chairs, etc.

[@Leahi84]

Borders was my favorite bookstore for years. It was so cozy to just browse and even read books at. Good memories.

[@thomasbryant6512]

I knew the manager at my local Borders and he let me have a couple of bookcases that would have otherwise been scrapped after the store closed. Although this video covers the main reasons for the stores' closing, there were a lot of other smaller decisions that compounded things and further lead to the company's demise.

[@Jimorian]

1 of them was using their last profitable Christmas to buy back stock instead of paying down that expansion debt. Another was locking in long-term leases at the height of the real-estate boom that was then an albatross around their necks after the bust. I also remember them telling managers to stop hiring "book people" because they wasted too much time talking to customers...

[@songsan807]

I would visit Borders a few times a week and brought manga, dvds, photoshop magazines, and technology books from them each time. As part of their membership you get a nice discount on all their items. I remembered around 2011 when I visited one of their locations at Northridge, CA one of the clerk was pushing all the customers to pay $20 for a Borders membership with coupons. Myself and many others purchased it that day. The next day when we came back we were told by the same guy saying the membership and coupons are no longer valid because there is a Borders. That was an awful experience. I still cherish the many hundreds of other great times at the bookstores browsing their books and having a coffee through the years.

[@MsBonkers2011]

Grew up going to the flagship store here in Ann Arbor. Borders always holds a special place in my heart. My mom and I bonded over reading and would go to borders EVERY weekend. With the way reading has become a “trendy” hobby, I feel like borders could come back in a small online way if they wanted to. But perhaps that is just wishful thinking. My reusable bag I use when I go to Barnes and noble says “I wish I was at borders”…

[@mandymorrow5473]

I LOVED Borders!!!

[@NYCDemonDiva]

Still miss Borders. It was such a fun experience to shop there

[@RadioLaPrincess]

I worked at Borders from October 2000-April 2001 and enjoyed it. However, it started to decline when I was there and it was sad. I had been a regular customer when I started working there, and was a loyal customer after I quit on good terms to take care of my mom who had a stroke. I remember old time employees telling me how busy Christmas shopping was, but Christmas 2000 wasn't as bad as I thought. They eventually cut me from full to part time and by then my mom was sick and I was going back to college to get my masters so I didn't care. I still shopped there but by then it was so different.

[@weirdkitty07]

Worked at s Borders in the late 1990s. People still thought I worked there because I kept going there years later and knew my way around. Our local store went out of business in 2011.

[@lahoorah]

13:23 Barnes and Noble at Chandler Fashion Center. Iconic entrance/dropoff.

[@NGMonocrom]

My best friend met his now wife while working at Borders. (Yup, still married.) I remember there being one in the shopping center in Farmingdale, NY where I used to go for fun at Dave n' Busters. Stopped in one night. Place was 60% picked clean. I bought a couple of books at 50% off. Just a very sad memory now.

[@tresonit4958]

I remember borders would do group readings on the weekend. My parents would take my beother and i when we were around 5. I still remember exactly where that store was today. Appreciate you for making this one! 😢

[@strawberrieeMilky]

I still miss Borders deeply. It was the place where I discovered manga, and I used to sit and read there for hours and drink coffee. It's definitely a big part of my junior high and high school days. I also have many fond memories of going there with my late grandma.

[@SamNewton93]

Borders was expanded into UK, it was where I brought all the Harry Potter books when they released , the good old 12am releases and i have loads of other books that i bought on release day from there

[@OspreyFlyer]

Loved going to Borders in the late 90s.

[@TomMazzuchi]

Besides the books, I always loved going to Borders and Barnes & Noble for their selection of CD's and DVD's they had. Sometimes I could find something that Walmart, Target, or the CD stores in malls didn't have, or a bit of a rarer, harder to find item.

[@laurachristianson1688]

One of the reasons we were excited to move to our townhouse was because it was literally within walking distance…..it closed within 6 months of us moving here 😖😔 it has since been replaced by stupid things, Halloween store, flooring store etc. none of them are ever utilized, and go out of business only to be replaced by yet another “business” go figure.

[@RazielXSR]

Having spent 16 years at Hastings up until the end of their bankruptcy, this one is definitely relatable.

[@OspreyFlyer]

Loved going to Hastings back in the day.

[@brandonlyons6108]

Used to visit Media Play in high school which was kind of like Hastings. Got to enjoy Hastings for several years, thankfully, when I moved for college before they too went away. Never spent too much time at Borders but this video made me wish I did.

[@bigbearkat2010]

I remember I tried calling the closest Hastings location when they were closing and I'm pretty sure the dude that answered the phone was high as a kite because he was giggling the whole time.

[@andyt2510]

I remember the Borders in the new Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham UK when it opened in 2003. The times I popped in the place was pretty busy, and was cheaper than the more established UK chains of Waterstones and WH Smith. However - the UK chains have a much more loyal customer base, with Smiths also being a more Jack of all Trades selling stationary, greeting cards, music, videos, computer games, newspapers and magazines and Waterstones having the same vibe as Borders (with the Birmingham store being much larger). Like Tower Records, Borders seem to be another US brand who tried to find success in the UK, yet ultimately fail due to the fierce competition of our home grown brands.

[@queenbey6678]

I really miss Borders. In college I spent many weekends in some corner reading as much as I could. I'm glad we still have Books-A-Million and BN

[@kimgordon3695]

"to the making of books there is no end" long gone...

[@overland_adventure_nz]

I so enjoyed driving into Auckland, New Zealand to visit and purchase books from Borders and have missed them ever since they closed in New Zealand. 😢

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

We seem to have so few real bookstores now in NZ - at least in the Sth Island...? Whitcoulls etc seem to just stock bestsellery-type stuff, although I guess uni bookstores do offer somewhat more specialist stock. When buying out-of-print hardcopy books I generally have to buy online overseas now, and the shipping makes it almost not worth trying, esp. now Book Depository with their free shipping is also gone 😔 Thankfully a few authors from past decades are having their works republished in ebook form, but it's hit & miss.

[@overland_adventure_nz]

@@anna_in_aotearoa3166 so true, the only one I know of is in Rotorua called McLeod‘s Books and that’s a day trip to go and visit .

[@jaybrogno2743]

Man I don’t know what I would do without this channel.

[@aliceg6373]

To this very day my sister and I recollect about our times at Borders and how we were always just more comfortable in there than Barnes&Noble… lots of walk throughs fueled by coffee and cocoa trios 😭🖤😭🖤😭

[@specialnewb9821]

I was always a Barnes and Noble kid but I do remember Borders a bit. Companies come and go like waves coming into the shore.

[@ChaiLatte13]

Border's was the better book store compared to Barnes & Noble. I remember being surprised that they were going bankrupt. You could find a bigger variety of books in Border's. I know the change in CD's and DVD's destroyed them. :(

[@webluke]

This is a classic story of a company that does well, grows rather than focuses on being just a good company, doesn't adapt to changes, and dies from the cost of being so big. Some of it's the stock market demanding growth no matter what, some is the wealth that the USA had in 1990-2010 when everything was outsourced, or just poor decisions by the executives to try and extract the most they could as they see the death nail coming.

[@backrowbrighton]

Hi from the UK. There was a huge Borders in the city where I live and it was a great place to spend your time in. It not only had a fantastic collection of books and CDs but the magazine section was excellent too. I would always make a point of visiting the local Borders in any city or town I was visiting. I really miss these places.

[@MrMarina101000]

I grew up going to Borders and was almost 11 when it closed. It holds so many good (and sad) memories

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

love your videos, always informative with little wasted, useless information........thank you again, jake

[@Wnick1996]

The primary place that I got game guides when I was a kid was Border's. No joke, when they closed, multiple bookstores took their place, and they last even less than Border's

[@ElJorro]

Now this, this one hurt. I have so many memories of Borders Books and Music. The first books I ever bought with my own money were from Borders. I bough VHS tapes of Pokemon and Inuyasha from Borders. My first DVDs. Even my first Girly Magazine! It was my happy place. Even years after it left, I still refer to its former locations as "Where Border's used to be"

[@vivi44]

Back in the late 90's I used to go into Toys R Us and play Playstation demos and look around while my father would go into Borders next door and read a book. Such fun times.

[@johnathanashleyOCSO]

Awesome series . I remember border's going into bankruptcy it was a shock

[@westrim]

I knew you'd cover them eventually, but still hurts (granted, almost as much as it hurt small bookstores when Borders Walmartified the industry before Amazon ate their lunch). It was always more homey with the better deals and more accessible layout, while Barnes and Noble still feels like slightly upscale retail hell, and I don't enjoy being there.

[@RichieRouge206]

I used to absolutely love the big Borders here by us in the UK and at 9:46 that’s our old branch at Cheshire Oaks!! Not only did it have magazines from the UK but also US magazines. Great video

[@rhombusx]

I had no idea WaldenBooks or Borders were once owned by K-Mart. One thing I've noticed is that most of the bookstores that exist now have moved away from the "sit down and read" style - probably cause too many people would just sit and hang out and then not buy the book.