Updated 2/1/15 at 1:16 pm
In 18 years of business, Borderlands has faced a number of challenges. The first and clearest was in 2000, when our landlord increased our rent by 100% and we had to move to our current location on Valencia Street. All of the subsequent ones have been less clear-cut but more difficult. The steady movement towards online shopping, mostly with Amazon, has taken a steady toll on bookstores throughout the world and Borderlands was no exception. After that and related to it, has been the shift towards ebooks and electronic reading devices. And finally the Great Recession of 2009 hit us very hard, especially since we had just opened a new aspect to the business in the form of our cafe.
But, through all those challenges, we've managed to find a way forward and 2014 was the best year we've ever had. The credit for that achievement goes to the fine and extraordinary group of people who have come together to work here. Their hard work, combined with the flawless execution and attention to detail provided by Jude Feldman, Borderlands' General Manager, is the reason we've succeeded for these past 18 years.
Throughout the years we've managed to plan for the problems that we could predict and, when we couldn't plan for them, we've just worked our asses off to get through. Overall, Borderlands has managed to defeat every problem that has come our way. At the beginning of 2014, the future of the business looked, if not rosy, at least stable and very positive. We were not in debt, sales were meeting expenses and even allowing a small profit, and, perhaps most importantly, the staff and procedures at both the bookstore and the cafe were well established and working smoothly.
So it fills us with sorrow and horror to say that we will be closing very soon.
In November, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly passed a measure that will increase the minimum wage within the city to $15 per hour by 2018. Although all of us at Borderlands support the concept of a living wage in principal and we believe that it's possible that the new law will be good for San Francisco -- Borderlands Books as it exists is not a financially viable business if subject to that minimum wage. Consequently we will be closing our doors no later than March 31st. The cafe will continue to operate until at least the end of this year.
Showing posts with label Bookstores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bookstores. Show all posts
February 01, 2015
December 10, 2013
Dark Carnival Bookstore
by Alan Beatts
There are many differences between national retailers and local businesses. (By the way, don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a call that you should shop locally this holiday season). One difference is that small businesses tend to see other businesses as allies and as an important part of the fabric of their locality, rather than as competitors. Booksellers especially see their fellows that way, even if you can make a very good argument that they _are_ competitors.
That's why I'm asking you to take a trip out to Berkeley and visit Dark Carnival <http://www.darkcarnival.com/>.
February 21, 2013
Len Riggio, Smarter Than Me
by Alan Beatts
Yesterday I mentioned that Barnes and Noble announced that they were closing about a third of their stores over the next ten years and I speculated that it would neither take that long nor stop at a third. I also suggested that, if I were the founder of the company, Len Riggio, I'd spin off the Nook ebook reader section as a separate company and then dump the physical bookstore part of the business.
Well, seems like Mr. Riggio is ahead of me. I did a little bit of digging and found that the first part already happened.
It seems that, as part of the deal last year in which Microsoft invested a ton of money in the Nook side of B&N's business, a subsidiary of B&N was created which incorporates both the Nook and ebook part of the business as well as all the college bookstores. It's called Nook Media LLC and it's a subsidiary of B&N -- _not_ a separate company -- for now. The October press release announcing Nook Media said in part,
"As previously announced, there is no set timetable for Barnes & Noble's review of strategic options for its investment in NOOK Media LLC. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made."
In other words, "We haven't decided. We might. And we're not going to talk about it anymore."
Yesterday I mentioned that Barnes and Noble announced that they were closing about a third of their stores over the next ten years and I speculated that it would neither take that long nor stop at a third. I also suggested that, if I were the founder of the company, Len Riggio, I'd spin off the Nook ebook reader section as a separate company and then dump the physical bookstore part of the business.
Well, seems like Mr. Riggio is ahead of me. I did a little bit of digging and found that the first part already happened.
It seems that, as part of the deal last year in which Microsoft invested a ton of money in the Nook side of B&N's business, a subsidiary of B&N was created which incorporates both the Nook and ebook part of the business as well as all the college bookstores. It's called Nook Media LLC and it's a subsidiary of B&N -- _not_ a separate company -- for now. The October press release announcing Nook Media said in part,
"As previously announced, there is no set timetable for Barnes & Noble's review of strategic options for its investment in NOOK Media LLC. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made."
In other words, "We haven't decided. We might. And we're not going to talk about it anymore."
February 20, 2013
The Last Man Standing
by Alan Beatts
Leonard Riggio, the driving force behind Barnes and Noble for the past 40 years, is a very smart businessman. I think he's smart in a hugely cut-throat sort of way, but smart all the same. He is certainly seeing the writing on the wall when it comes to sales of physical books. Barnes and Noble recently announced that they will be closing around a third of their stores in the next decade. Their stated aim is to drop the number of stores from the current 689 to somewhere around 450-500.
It's possible, I suppose, that it will actually play out that way over the next decade. But I doubt it. My suspicion is that, in a little bit, we're going to hear that plan has been "adjusted in the face of changing consumer habits" and is going to go much faster. A number of sources, including The Atlantic and Knowledge@Wharton have recently run articles detailing some of the problems B&N faces. Nook sales are down (12.6%), store sales are down (10.9%), and Amazon continues to take business away from them.
Leonard Riggio, the driving force behind Barnes and Noble for the past 40 years, is a very smart businessman. I think he's smart in a hugely cut-throat sort of way, but smart all the same. He is certainly seeing the writing on the wall when it comes to sales of physical books. Barnes and Noble recently announced that they will be closing around a third of their stores in the next decade. Their stated aim is to drop the number of stores from the current 689 to somewhere around 450-500.
It's possible, I suppose, that it will actually play out that way over the next decade. But I doubt it. My suspicion is that, in a little bit, we're going to hear that plan has been "adjusted in the face of changing consumer habits" and is going to go much faster. A number of sources, including The Atlantic and Knowledge@Wharton have recently run articles detailing some of the problems B&N faces. Nook sales are down (12.6%), store sales are down (10.9%), and Amazon continues to take business away from them.
May 19, 2012
Science Fiction Bookstores in the News
A Q&A with our friends Dave Nee and Jan Murphy from Other Change of Hobbit were featured in Oakland Local. Congrats, you guys -- we're thrilled to see you still hanging tough!
And, we were gratified and a little surprised to find Borderlands mentioned in an article about what to do during a 48 hour visit to San Francisco from the UK's "Independent" newspaper. Of all the amazing things to do in the City, I think it's delightful they'd choose us as one of the few to cram into 2 days in San Francisco.
And thinking about that, what would your ideal and/or recommended 48 hours in San Francisco look like? I've been working on it, but I can't get it down to less than about a week.
And, we were gratified and a little surprised to find Borderlands mentioned in an article about what to do during a 48 hour visit to San Francisco from the UK's "Independent" newspaper. Of all the amazing things to do in the City, I think it's delightful they'd choose us as one of the few to cram into 2 days in San Francisco.
And thinking about that, what would your ideal and/or recommended 48 hours in San Francisco look like? I've been working on it, but I can't get it down to less than about a week.
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