# Borders bookstore on Oxford Street to close



## editor (Jul 13, 2009)

Shame. It was always handy for a free read.



> One of the few decent stores at the eastern end of Oxford Street is to close. Borders will withdraw from their flagship store, as well as four other locations around the country (in Blanchardstown, Llantrisant, London Colney and Swindon). The struggling book chain last month brought in Clearwater Corporate Finance to advise on 'funding opportunities', which turns out to mean 'store closures'. It is unclear when the branches will close, or how many staff will lose their jobs, but Borders have confirmed that the leases have been sold to a 'fashion retailer'. All the more reason to visit London's many and varied independent book shops.
> 
> http://londonist.com/2009/07/borders_to_close_flagship_oxford_st.php


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jul 13, 2009)

and an opportunity to take photos of photos


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## perplexis (Jul 13, 2009)

But Foyle's is still going strong, which makes me happy.


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## el-ahrairah (Jul 13, 2009)

Seeing as security guards are amongst the first to be laid off during a store closure like this, I imagine that Borders will remain handy for a free read, at least for a few days.  I will investigate later.  With a nice big bag.


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## Hocus Eye. (Jul 13, 2009)

Most bookshops are quite happy to leave people browsing their books.  They know that people who spend ages reading books in the shop are the same people who spend lots of money on books.  I do it a lot but then I know that eventually I will leave with a (paid for) book.  Sadly the demise of Borders will leave only Waterstones which I understand is part of WH Smith.

Perhaps there was never really room in the market for another chain bookshop.  There is plenty of room for independents though, but they have also been in decline for a long time.

As for photographing a book, I have done that in a library - better quality than using the photo-copier but wouldn't want to appear on the video security system of a retailer while photographing their merchandise.


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## Housmans (Jul 13, 2009)

Been on the cards for a while - theyve been looking for a buyer, but no joy. Worse is likely yet to come.

Good ridance - Borders have been actively union-busting in their operations. No tears shed here.


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## Biddlybee (Jul 13, 2009)

It's not closing completely... there's a store round the corner on Charing Cross Rd.


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## quimcunx (Jul 13, 2009)

Shame to lose a bookshop slap bang in the middle of Oxford Street though. 

I haven't worked near a decent big bookshop for years now and I miss it.  I only occasionally get to Waterstones at Piccadilly or that Borders these days.


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## newbie (Jul 13, 2009)

I can't imagine the Blackwells on Charing Cross Road will last that long either, it's always nearly deserted when I go in there.


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## 100% masahiko (Jul 13, 2009)

Borders and Foyles on Charing Cross for a free read.

Does anyone know a similar book shop to Compendium (around in the 90s in Camden)?


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## Vintage Paw (Jul 13, 2009)

Hocus Eye. said:


> Sadly the demise of Borders will leave only Waterstones which I understand is part of WH Smith.



No, it is part of HMV.


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## Oswaldtwistle (Jul 13, 2009)

editor said:


> Shame. It was always handy for a free read.



I guess that was the problem!


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## newbie (Jul 13, 2009)

100% masahiko said:


> Borders and Foyles on Charing Cross for a free read.
> 
> Does anyone know a similar book shop to Compendium (around in the 90s in Camden)?



I wish.

Housemans is the closest but (no disrespect) not a patch on Compendium.


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## jæd (Jul 13, 2009)

I'll miss them as they had a good selection of everything. Only problem is that Amazon is still miles better and cheaper. (Although bookstores are always good for a browse...)

I'll always remember the first Borders I went in when I was in Singapore. At least the back quarter of the ground floor was full of Singaporans sitting on the floor reading the books. (It was by a small park so it was excellent for buying a book or mag and then chilling out for a bit at lunch time...)


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## Pie 1 (Jul 13, 2009)

Won't miss their books section - I've always remained loyal to Foyles on that front in London. But they did have a bloody excellent magazine section & stocked quite a few obscure/hard to get Photog/art/design titles, which was nice to have in C. Ldn.


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## yardbird (Jul 13, 2009)

Foyles have bought the old Saint Martins Deco building (which I love, 'cos I went there ) next door to them in Charing Cross Rd.
It will be the largest bookshop in the world !


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## mincepie (Jul 13, 2009)

Shame as they had a large-ish non fiction range, great for bowsing them going to Amazon at home (!), but that aside, what other large bookstores with a good range are there in London. For non-fiction books?


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## dogmatique (Jul 14, 2009)

I'd always found they had the poorest selection of the big bookshops in the west end.  I've wasted my time on several visits looking for something that wasn't stocked in Waterstones or Foyles.  They just didn't have the diversity of stock.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2009)

fuck boarders and their entirely corrupt aim of limiting publications and their starbucksian methods at trying to freeze out independants... 

this is a good day though obivously if you work for them not so much but societaily it's a fucking great day...


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2009)

waterstones next please...


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## cybertect (Jul 14, 2009)

perplexis said:


> But Foyle's is still going strong, which makes me happy.



Not me. People I know who worked there in the 80s and 90s said Christina Foyle was an awful employer. Pisspoor wages, dreadful treatment of staff and scant regard for fire regs. I don't go into Foyles.

I don't know if things have changed since she died, though.


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## lang rabbie (Jul 14, 2009)

cybertect said:


> Not me. People I know who worked there in the 80s and 90s said Christina Foyle was an awful employer. Pisspoor wages, dreadful treatment of staff and scant regard for fire regs. I don't go into Foyles.
> 
> I don't know if things have changed since she died, though.



They have Just a tad - the entire place has been given a makeover from top to bottom.

BTW Christina Foyle was convinced the staff on the shop floor were fiddling, and that is probably why she treated them like shit, but in fact it was her senior managers who had defrauded her of £10million over the years.


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## cybertect (Jul 14, 2009)

lang rabbie said:


> BTW Christina Foyle was convinced the staff on the shop floor were fiddling, and that is probably why she treated them like shit, but in fact it was her senior managers who had defrauded her of £10million over the years.





I guess you're right, that explains a lot.

[misses Skoob on Sicilian Avenue ]


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## mincepie (Jul 14, 2009)

Got an email saying 50% off all books....
"Borders Oxford Street - Closing down sale 50% off everything"


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## Pip (Jul 14, 2009)

mincepie said:


> Got an email saying 50% off all books....
> "Borders Oxford Street - Closing down sale 50% off everything"



Does that start tomorrow then?


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## mincepie (Jul 14, 2009)

http://oxfordstreet.borders.co.uk/store/oxfordstreet/71/

Guess it's already started.


A notice to all our customers:

Please note that Borders Oxford Street will be closing in early August.  Your nearest alternative stores are on Charing Cross Road and at Islington's N1 Centre.


Until we close our doors for the final time, we will be selling remaining stock (excluding concessions, periodicals, electrical items and tokens/vouchers) at 50% off.


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## echoecho (Jul 15, 2009)

The Borders ten minutes away on Charing X Road always seemed bigger and better stocked anyway, so it's not too much of a loss.


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## lang rabbie (Jul 16, 2009)

cybertect said:


> I guess you're right, that explains a lot.
> 
> [misses Skoob on Sicilian Avenue ]



Nostalgia ain't wot it used to be!

Skoob are now hidden in the basement of the Brunswick Centre.  You can't get in from the central "mall" of the Brunswick - instead look out for the path between Marchmont Street and Handel  Street at the northern end of the Brunswick that leads to the back door of the new Waitrose.  

I was pleasantly surprised by the stock they manage to cram into the tiny space.


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## cybertect (Jul 16, 2009)

Oh 

I'll have to check it out next time I'm in that bit of town (which isn't so often these days).


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## christonabike (Jul 17, 2009)

Skoob is great, always found something I wanted in there


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## Bungle73 (Jul 18, 2009)

yardbird said:


> Foyles have bought the old Saint Martins Deco building (which I love, 'cos I went there ) next door to them in Charing Cross Rd.
> It will be the largest bookshop in the world !


A few years ago it was the largest bookshop in the world.



Vintage Paw said:


> No, it is part of HMV.


Waterstones used to be owned by WH Smith but they sold the chain quite a while ago.


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## editor (Jul 25, 2009)

T'was a forlorn sight today:







http://www.urban75.org/london/goodbye-borders.html


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## Stobart Stopper (Jul 25, 2009)

Fridgemagnet is always the last one left in the mod's staff room.


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## Pickman's model (Jul 25, 2009)

editor said:


> T'was a forlorn sight today:


fridgemagnet left behind at borders, to be swept out in the morning.


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## Stobart Stopper (Jul 25, 2009)

Fridgemagnet going through the Editor's porn stash.


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## Missez (Jul 27, 2009)

I was in there last week and was sad to see it closing down. When I asked one of the shop assistants what had happened to the Science Fiction section she turned out to be a former pupil of mine. She'll be out of a job once the store closes 

Apparently it's going to be turned into a New Look. Just what we need.


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## fogbat (Jul 27, 2009)

editor said:


> T'was a forlorn sight today:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Larry David grabs some last minute bargains...


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## se5 (Jul 27, 2009)

In Swindon they are demonstrating at the loss of their Borders: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8168612.stm with petitions, a facebook group and everything. 

To my mind it was a strange location for a bookshop in the first place - an out of town retail park where I wouldnt have thought there was much demand for bookshops anyway (and good Waterstones in the centre of town)


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## editor (Dec 21, 2009)

The whole lot of them are closing this week, dumping over 1,100 people on the dole on Christmas Eve.

Here's the last days of the Charing Cross Road branch.











http://www.urban75.org/london/borders-charing-cross-closes.html


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## fogbat (Dec 21, 2009)

editor said:


>




Closing down shops are always heartbreaking, but I was wandering through the Borders on Charing Cross a few days back, and found that bookshops closing is particularly sad 

Cracking pic, mind


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## madamv (Dec 21, 2009)

Ours in Bournemouth is also going....  Its rather irritating because when they opened, they put an independent out of business a few shops up.   It sold old secondhand books too, and was full of character.  

I went there a couple of weeks ago and everything was only 20% off except for the business section which was 50% off


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## editor (Dec 21, 2009)

madamv said:


> Ours in Bournemouth is also going...


They're_ all_ going on Dec 24th.


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