Philosophy
I have seen this before...the furniture store that is quitting business and six months later open a new store two blocks away. I also recall a mom and pop photo store that was going out of business and would spend long hours at night marking everything up 25% and then having a close out sale...everything 20% off. Caveat emptor.
When something’s called a liquidation sale, the prices just have to be good, don’t they? Actually, they don’t. And here’s proof they’re not at Borders right now.
The investigators at dealnews shopped the aisles of a Borders in New York City before and after the announcement that all remaining Borders stores would be liquidated. Of the 25 items on its shopping list, 19 were cheaper the week before the store posted “everything must go” prices. Five other items were listed at the same price before and after the so-called sale began.
In other words, customers would have been better off buying books like Water for Elephants and Too Big to Fail before Borders announced liquidation sales—the books cost $10.47 and $12.60 before the sale started, and $13.46 and $16.20 afterward, respectively. Other books, like Bossypants and Unbroken, were listed at the same price regardless of the timing ($18.89 and $18.90 respectively).
What’s more, none of these prices are particularly good anyway. Before and since Borders’ liquidation process began, the prices for all of these books have been cheaper at Amazon and Walmart.
This shouldn’t be all that surprising. Retailers have a history of using (and abusing) the phrase “liquidation sale,” which apparently holds great sway over consumers. (Phrases like “limited time only” have great power as well.) Other stores, notably Circuit City, have hosted liquidation sales with prices that were much higher than run-of-the-mill electronics sales, and earlier this year, the prices at going-out-of-business sales at several Borders could routinely be beaten by discount coupon codes offered for online purchases at Borders website.
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- Borders Bookstores--going Down
"Borders 'store closing' sales attract shoppers" About one-third of Borders bookstores are expected to shut by the end of April, including 21 in Southern California. by Andrea Chang February 21st, 2011 Los Angeles Times Bargain hunters were...
- Small, Independent Bookstores
In my city of nearly two million, they are virtually gone...maybe three left. Even used bookstores are nearly gone and relegated to thrift stores. "Is there hope for small bookstores in a digital age?" by Bob Minzesheimer February 9th, 2011 USA TODAY...
- A Backfire In The E-book Biz?
"2 E-Books Cost More Than Amazon Hardcovers" by Julie Bosman October 4th, 2010 The New York Times Readers of e-books may not be able to turn paper pages, lend their copies to friends or file them away on living room bookshelves. But they do have the...
Philosophy
Borders liquidation sale...not quite true
I have seen this before...the furniture store that is quitting business and six months later open a new store two blocks away. I also recall a mom and pop photo store that was going out of business and would spend long hours at night marking everything up 25% and then having a close out sale...everything 20% off. Caveat emptor.
"No Deal: Skip Borders Underwhelming Liquidation Sales"
by
Brad Tuttle
July 25th, 2011
Time
by
Brad Tuttle
July 25th, 2011
Time
When something’s called a liquidation sale, the prices just have to be good, don’t they? Actually, they don’t. And here’s proof they’re not at Borders right now.
The investigators at dealnews shopped the aisles of a Borders in New York City before and after the announcement that all remaining Borders stores would be liquidated. Of the 25 items on its shopping list, 19 were cheaper the week before the store posted “everything must go” prices. Five other items were listed at the same price before and after the so-called sale began.
In other words, customers would have been better off buying books like Water for Elephants and Too Big to Fail before Borders announced liquidation sales—the books cost $10.47 and $12.60 before the sale started, and $13.46 and $16.20 afterward, respectively. Other books, like Bossypants and Unbroken, were listed at the same price regardless of the timing ($18.89 and $18.90 respectively).
What’s more, none of these prices are particularly good anyway. Before and since Borders’ liquidation process began, the prices for all of these books have been cheaper at Amazon and Walmart.
This shouldn’t be all that surprising. Retailers have a history of using (and abusing) the phrase “liquidation sale,” which apparently holds great sway over consumers. (Phrases like “limited time only” have great power as well.) Other stores, notably Circuit City, have hosted liquidation sales with prices that were much higher than run-of-the-mill electronics sales, and earlier this year, the prices at going-out-of-business sales at several Borders could routinely be beaten by discount coupon codes offered for online purchases at Borders website.
- Rhett Allain, Physicist, Talks About Batteries
"A Physics Professor Asks: Are No-Name Batteries a Better Value Than Major Brands?"byBrad TuttleJanuary 27th, 2012TimeDuracell? Energizer? The cheapie packages of AAs at the dollar store? Tired of dumping money blindly on batteries for Wii remote controllers,...
- Another Bookstore Bites The Dust...the Travel Bookshop
"Give bricks-and-mortar bookselling a future" Faced with the Amazon juggernaut and high rents, bookshops are battling to survive. 'Use them or lose them' is the message by Nik Gorecki August 25th, 2011 guardian.co.uk The...
- Borders Bookstores--going Down
"Borders 'store closing' sales attract shoppers" About one-third of Borders bookstores are expected to shut by the end of April, including 21 in Southern California. by Andrea Chang February 21st, 2011 Los Angeles Times Bargain hunters were...
- Small, Independent Bookstores
In my city of nearly two million, they are virtually gone...maybe three left. Even used bookstores are nearly gone and relegated to thrift stores. "Is there hope for small bookstores in a digital age?" by Bob Minzesheimer February 9th, 2011 USA TODAY...
- A Backfire In The E-book Biz?
"2 E-Books Cost More Than Amazon Hardcovers" by Julie Bosman October 4th, 2010 The New York Times Readers of e-books may not be able to turn paper pages, lend their copies to friends or file them away on living room bookshelves. But they do have the...