Borders May Buy Barnes & Noble

www.wsj.com

This may be a good thing for two reasons:

1. More fnancial stability for both firms.

2. Enhanced music selection and more coupon applicability assuming the great Borders deals keep rolling.

Thoughts?

 

From article.

 

I don't think it will do much for music or brick/mortar stores.
It will all go internet soon except for larger metro areas.

 

Interesting turn of events. The opposite was rumored a couple of years ago.

 

Its like both of these companies are hanging off a cliff next to each other and the only way to pull themselves up on to the ledge is to help each other. I would have never thought digital downloads would do these guys in ten years ago but man I was wrong. Weird times. BTW digital books are cool and easy to carry but holding a hardback book in your hands is just not the same.

 

It's about the only way for them to survive...

 

Nolo Comprende

They're Bonkers.

 

I think I hear mad cackling coming from Jeff Bezos' office.

 

Barnes and Noble is worth $900 million? Wow, will wonders ever cease - I wouldn't risk $10k on this company, let alone $900 million.

 

The only question is which brand would they unify all the stores under?

 

Don't know about other parts of the country, but here in NYC B&N has a much better selection (overall) and pricing than does Borders. If Borders does take over and apply their business model, I think that it'll be a quick "bye, bye" to them both.

 

Probably Borders if they are the buyer. OTOH maybe if there are more B&N stores then the changeover might be cheaper with B&N. Which has more brand value?

 

Even in NYC, the selection at nboth stores has dropped to such a low level that I don't bother with them at all anymore.

 

We still see some good discs here in Atlanta but there remains good selection on their websites.

I had a B&N membership but it was really terrible. They sent lots of coupons but the discounts were small and the coupon was targeted for very specific items like an Oprah Book Club book or a trendy and awful CD.

My Borders membership has been terrific however.

 

I would almost bet they keep both names running , most customers that allready shop at one or the other will continue .
Strange news .

 

The real question is: will it take one more year or two for the large retail b&m bookstore to be a thing of the past?

It'll only be profitable (barely) to sell used books in a b&m store pretty soon, as with music.

 

"Barnes & Borders"

 

Borders and Noble?

 

If Barnes & Noble had *ANYONE* awake at the helm in the mid 90s, they could have buried Amazon before they even got off the ground. A strong Internet presence combined with a brick-n-mortar storefront could have crippled Amazon entirely.

But no, the Dinosaurs In Charge refused to innovate and create new business models, stubbornly clinging to the "old way of doing things". Congratulations, fellas. Say hi to the RIAA on your one-way cruise to Irrelevancy.

 

Agreed. There's a huge, inviting, well-organized Barnes And Noble near me that I don't go to because of Amazon.

 

BB&N - Borders, Barnes & Noble. Kind of sounds like a music group. Oh wait, that has been done. It also sounds like a law firm.

 

Why not call it Tower Records and build up the CD inventory and add LPs?

{I'm dreaming big time here.}

 

Surprising

This is a little surprising to me just from the standpoint that Borders is shrinking, older and run down in this area where the Barnes and Nobles stores seem to some degree to be thriving in comparison. I thought it might be the other way around.

 

I'm not sure how less competition was ever a good thing for the consumer.

 

I agree. Our local B&N stores are well-stocked and a much more pleasant atmosphere than Borders, which, in our case, has next to nothing when it comes to CD/DVD. Even their book selection kinda blows. They have much better coupons, though, which is why I end up shopping there sometimes. I wish B&N would stop being cheap and email me a coupon for more than a measly 15% off...