Two Borders locations in the East Valley are among those being closed as the struggling bookseller files for bankruptcy protection.
According to court filings obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the stores at 1361 S. Alma School Road in Mesa and 870 N. 54th St. in Chandler will be shuttered.
Also closing: two stores each in Scottsdale and Phoenix, one in Avondale and one in Tucson.
To see the full list of closings, click here.
The Associated Press reports that the 40-year-old company plans to close about 200 of its 642 superstores in the next few weeks.
AT A GLANCE
THE FILING: Borders Group Inc., the 40-year old No. 2 U.S. bookseller, filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, sunk by crushing debt and sluggishness in adapting to a rapidly changing industry. It will close about 200 of its superstores and cut 6,000 of its 19,500 employees.
THE BACKGROUND: Borders appeared to be the future of retailing 15 years ago, but was brought down by failing to respond fast enough to changes in technology and shopping habits.
WHAT'S NEXT: Border received $505 million in financing from GE Capital to restructure under bankruptcy protection. It plans to keep operating normally for the time being.
berlinfire posted at 6:09 pm on Wed, Feb 16, 2011.
I am so sad to hear this. This is a great store. the employees, the organization, the kids activities, the cafe with its super yummy drinks, and the excellent prices! I am SO DISAPPOINTED! I go here all the time. If I feel this bad, the staff must feel terrible.
Uuuuughhh :(
Leon Ceniceros posted at 12:35 pm on Thu, Feb 17, 2011.
Well....that's another "NAIL IN THE COFFIN" ..for the Fiesta Mall District. The Mesa Financial Plaza (that huge building with the Bank of America logo on Souther) went into foreclosure. Marie Calendar's restaurant moved to Chandler (where all the money is now). Bennigan's Restaurant folded, Cost Plus moved out of the Mall, Southern Plaza complex in Limbo, the Fiesta Market Place is history. Fiesta Village was so vibrant years ago...and now it's all boarded up and fenced in.
Let's face it, Folks....with the tough times we now live and and expect to have around for the next 5 years...Downtown Mesa and the Fiesta Mall District will just continue to stagnate. No sense in throwing good money after bad. Just suck it up and wait until the Economy turns around.
manini posted at 3:17 pm on Tue, Feb 22, 2011.
Border's was a great store, but E-Books shot it down like I was publishing 11 years ago on CDROMs. Printing costs are ZILCH, no hardcopy paper costs & just snail-mail or Email copies after customers pay for copies on EBAY, Amazon or Ur own website...no electronic readers needed, but just a cell phone, IPHONE, IPad, Netbook or MacBook Computer...& away U go...LOL! Print is dead, unfortunately...hehehe.