Borders - (Image via Wikipedia)
Did the Amazon technological marvel called “Kindle
” kill the book store behemoth Borders? Borders said that is exactly what has happened, I wonder if Barnes and Noble is next? I’m sad to say that 10,700 Border employees are now out of a job!
In my previous blog entry called “Is Technology A Job Killer?” I basically summarize how we are going to lose more and more jobs as a result of technology. But perhaps my statement isn’t really that amazing, perhaps we’ve been losing more and more jobs for a long time now and we just didn’t realize it.
Reading my above statement and previous blog post, you might think that I’m anti-technology, but that’s not true! In fact, technology is what puts food on my table at home. I’ve seen the Kindle and it’s pretty cool. As cool as it is, I still prefer hard bound books, but I definitely see the value in a kindle.
My History With Borders
Okay, now I’m going to talk about why I’ll miss Borders so much!
Over 5 years ago, I had a small lunch group of three or four members that would go to Borders at lunch. We would browse the magazine section and I would occasionally check out the latest computer books (see I don’t hate technology).
After about 10 minutes, we would all settle over in the small Cafe and order soup and some times coffee. We would discuss ideas covering financial investments and plans we had in the future, to ideas that we thought would be cool to have or invent. It was a great time, and times remembered fondly… at least until the Borders store closed 2 years ago.
Even though we don’t go there anymore (since our employer moved to a larger building far away from that particular Borders store), I still had fond memories of the place whenever I would drive by. Occasionally I would even stop in just to experience that same old comfy feeling, buying an occasional greeting card or financial (or computer) magazine while I was there.
It was an A+ experience that my kids won’t grow up to know. Hopefully Barnes and Nobles can hold on, it’s similar although a bit more uppity. My family could still blend in, although it doesn’t have that same friendly everybody fits in feeling that Borders had.
I’ll admit, I’m kind of worried that some of the quaintness in the world is going to be left behind by the Amazons, eBays, Netflixes and Apple itunes of the day. Oh year there is still Walmart, but do you really go there for the aesthetics? Do you get a warm comfy feeling when you get a pop for their vending machine in the vestibule?
So as Borders finally closes it last few remaining store doors, I node Goodbye to the store that held so many lunch memories for me with friends I hardly see anymore.
So tell me, have you bought at a store or establishment that you would like to have around for a while? I do, that’s why I make sure I make sure I support my local stores and restaurants and my local drive-in, because the world would be a much more generic and bland place without such unique landmarks!
Goodbye Borders, Hats off to you!
MR