Ramble on Borders Closing
That thing where Borders Singapore (or at least its Singapore flagship store at Wheelock Place) is closing. I'm surprised the landlord of Wheelock Place wasn't willing to overlook a month or so of late rent, actually. Weren't they the anchor tenant?
I've never been a fan of Borders - yes, I did like that you could sometimes go in there and read books without paying, and that this was part of their sales concept - but ultimately, this didn't create enough goodwill for me to pay their relatively high book prices.
By which I mean, I sometimes visited the Parkway Parade branch, on my way home. The staff were usually friendly enough, but distant. I would go into the store, look at a book which seemed interesting (usually not a bestseller), and being that I have limited resources, I'd usually go upstairs to San Bookstore, and if they had the book it would usually be much cheaper. Why should I pay Borders' higher prices? Recently, learning that they were having 20% storewide sales, I wandered in to take a look. At the last Kinokuniya sale, I had bought some books by Alison Weir at around S$27, less their 20% sale discount for members. Borders had the same discount on the same books, but at a higher base price - over S$30!
I checked up the same book on Books Depository. US$13.35 - less than S$20, since they don't charge shipping. And they have a 5% discount at the moment. I have enough goodwill towards Kinokuniya, since they carry Japanese books and I have fond memories of spending much time there as a student, that sometimes I do pay their higher prices. And of course they have the Singapore books which I don't think I can get on Books Depository.
But I wonder if bookstores will go the way of music cd stores.. or dvd/vcd stores.. though, maybe not Kinokuniya, if the premiums they can still evidently charge on their Japanese merchandise is any indication!!! (Now that I'm able to travel to Japan, I hardly buy their Japanese books anymore!)
I've never been a fan of Borders - yes, I did like that you could sometimes go in there and read books without paying, and that this was part of their sales concept - but ultimately, this didn't create enough goodwill for me to pay their relatively high book prices.
By which I mean, I sometimes visited the Parkway Parade branch, on my way home. The staff were usually friendly enough, but distant. I would go into the store, look at a book which seemed interesting (usually not a bestseller), and being that I have limited resources, I'd usually go upstairs to San Bookstore, and if they had the book it would usually be much cheaper. Why should I pay Borders' higher prices? Recently, learning that they were having 20% storewide sales, I wandered in to take a look. At the last Kinokuniya sale, I had bought some books by Alison Weir at around S$27, less their 20% sale discount for members. Borders had the same discount on the same books, but at a higher base price - over S$30!
I checked up the same book on Books Depository. US$13.35 - less than S$20, since they don't charge shipping. And they have a 5% discount at the moment. I have enough goodwill towards Kinokuniya, since they carry Japanese books and I have fond memories of spending much time there as a student, that sometimes I do pay their higher prices. And of course they have the Singapore books which I don't think I can get on Books Depository.
But I wonder if bookstores will go the way of music cd stores.. or dvd/vcd stores.. though, maybe not Kinokuniya, if the premiums they can still evidently charge on their Japanese merchandise is any indication!!! (Now that I'm able to travel to Japan, I hardly buy their Japanese books anymore!)