Having grown up in Central Jersey, one of my favorite pastimes has been stocking up on summer reading at my local Borders. While most of my friends dread the thought of reading, I’ve always been the book nerd who spent my summer days reading or searching for the perfect beach read.
As a regular Borders customer, I received their weekly e-mail newsletter with their latest promotions. I even had a Borders rewards keychain.
I first heard of the store’s liquidation in July when the store sent a solemn e-mail with the subject line, “A Fond Farewell.” I was sad to learn that the company was going out of business due to “a rapidly changing book industry, the eReader revolution, and a turbulent economy.”
I rushed to Borders to find it buzzing with people like myself hoping to take advantage of the liquidation sale. Books were flying off the shelves. After waiting in line for a half hour, I came away with $80 worth of books that were marked down as much as 30 percent.
This past weekend, I got another e-mail from Borders. It was the last five days of business for the Bridgewater location and the savings would be as high as 90 percent.
My final trip to Borders was a bittersweet experience. The storefront was plastered with those everything-must-go signs. Inside, there were fewer customers than for my previous visit—and even fewer books. The only thing greater was the savings.
Although it was exciting to purchase six books for just $11, it was sad to see the store’s inventory, including the furniture, empty out. Then came the final blow: I removed the Borders rewards card off my keychain.
For a complete list of Borders store closings in NJ, visit facebook.com/borders.