Over the weekend Borders Books sold to a liquidator who will begin dismantling the company starting next week. I always liked Borders, especially the store located on the Strip in Canton, OH. You can read more here.
Here in FL we have Books-A-Million. I hadn’t been to a BAM for a few years, and I walked into one a couple weeks ago. What struck me were all the “frills” (board games, greeting cards, notebooks, pencils, toys, etc.). There was a lot more of that this time around. I also noted how few books were actually on the shelves. Most people wouldn’t notice that, but I worked at a bookstore in the past and I know how many books should be on the shelf. There was at least a fifteen percent reduction, if not more.
And the first thing greeting patrons through the front doors was a large display of Nooks. Does BAM realize they’re actively undermining their own long-term business strategy by selling Barnes & Noble products? They’re also cutting back on operating hours, which isn’t a good sign.
In better news, today FX greenlit “American Horror Story.” The network has been very tight-lipped about what the show’s actually about, but any new horror programs on TV are welcomed.