Borders Hilo Closing

[macuu222]

Yea...Just got back from Borders in Hilo. They have signs in every window saying "Hilo Store Closing". And inside everything is 20-40 percent off. Needless the say the line was a mile long. "Seattle's Best Coffee" will also be gone for good. I wonder if anyone is going to take over the building?

[Bob Orts]

Even their corporate offices are not up to speed on the closing:
---------------
Dear Bob,

Thank you for contacting us with your questions and comments about our Hilo, HI store.

Borders enjoys serving customers in many communities across the country. Sometimes, we find it necessary for a variety of reasons to close a specific store location. We know that the decision to close a store affects our loyal customers and valuable employees and that is unfortunate. However, we do our very best to place qualified employees with other positions in our company and we offer shoppers many other locations to shop with us as well as online shopping through Borders.com. You can find local Borders stores by going to our online Store Locator search feature link below:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/LocatorView

However, at this time, I am not personally aware of this location closing. You may wish to contact the store for more information. Thank you for your support of Borders.

Sincerely,

Jessica
Borders Customer Care
http://www.borders.com

[DTisme]

Borders are closing all over apparently. It's not that bookstores are a dying breed, but bookstores that sell at cover price are! I'm sorry, but even at 20-30% off for the closing, it's still a better deal to use amazon. I know, I know, you like holding the book in your hands. Me, not so much. I'm fine looking thru the pages online before I buy, reading the reviews, etc., and with no shipping (if it's over $25), no sales tax, and the fact that they bring it to your door, I'm a die-hard amazon fan. I buy LOTS of stuff from them, not just books.

Hubby and I did go to Border's today to see if there were any good deals; instead, there were crowds and still-not-near-amazon prices. We might go back when it gets to 50-70% off. BC of the visit, I was in a book buying mood, so I came home and ordered a bunch of books from amazon - including, coincidentally, that culture shock book - how funny! -- and I didn't get all antsy standing there in line. Plus I'm a weirdo - I hate the smell of coffee! It'll be interesting to see what goes in the space. I hope it won't be too long a wait.

[DaVinci]

Amazon and kindle for the iPad.... Embrace the 21st century!!

[csgray]

Bummer! I was in there on Monday and bought a big stack of books for full price, boy do I feel duped! I also, as usual, could not find a bunch of books I was looking for, which I think is a big part of the Borders problem. They had reduced their linear feet of shelves drastically over the last year, and it was getting harder and harder to find books I wanted to read. I don't spend money on clothes or jewelry, but my one financial indulgence is buying books.

I like to actually browse in a bookstore, that's how you discover new writers and overlooked books, online sales only work if you already know what you want. I read a lot of fairly esoteric Science fiction and fantasy, as well as a lot of geography, history, social commentary and economics; not stuff I can usually find through the library system. I guess I am going to have to beg my daughter in Portland, who knows what I like to read, to hit Powell's for me! Now we really are going to have to go to the mainland next summer!

Carol

[fishnchamp1]

How do books hold up in the ambient humidity of the rainforests?

William DeBoe
Delray Beach, FL

Moe'uhane Oihana mahi ai

[Kapohocat]

Just a note - I was worried that places like Bears would close when places like Starbucks/Borders came along.

I am happy to see Bears outlasting the chains!

[TheodoreJay]

Yep I agree w/ John bookstores in general are dying....can't compete w/ Amazon and now the I Pad and Kindle and Nook.

[csgray]

I keep a fan running and the door and window open at all times in my office to keep air flow going. So far (16 months) no serious mold or mildew, but trade paperbacks' covers tend to curl when they aren't on the shelves. We had far more issues when we lived right on the water in Keaukaha. In general, books age faster here and I am glad I left all my first editions behind on the mainland.

Carol

[DTisme]

I think since I've been shopping online for books (10 yrs now?) I have found much MORE than I run across in a bookstore. Reviewers (folks like you and me) often recommend similar stuff to books I like, and I've discovered SO many writers I might not have run across in the store. Places like Borders don't carry small publishing house books as much as amazon (I know this bc I owned a small publishing house for 15 yrs!) - I could sell my books thru amazon and ebay fine but couldn't get them in the big stores. And I admit I've even gone into a bookstore like Borders, find a book I like, then order it online to save some bucks. Where I would have bought just that one book in Borders, I tend to buy tons more WITH that book when I order it. I also like that I can save wishlists on there (I have hundreds on my lists!) to remind me what I want to read (and of course gift-giving family members).

On books lasting in the rainforest - I find that opening the windows in our house makes it worse as our property is heavily (and heavenly) green. I run a room dehumidifier once or twice a week and get gallons out of each room. I especially do this in rooms with the books. If I don't, they stick together in a most-confounding way.

Anyone know of a good used bookstore, btw? The one in Pahoa is great, but it's way overpriced.