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Borders (noun) Bor'-ders - a coffee shop where one previews books they'll buy online for 40% less.

by edw519 16y ago

apowell 16y ago
Very true. And with the Amazon iPhone app, you don't even have to leave to finish your purchase. Just scan the barcode, purchase, and continue enjoying your coffee.
- nopassrecover 16y ago
  Wait you can barcode books into an Amazon cart!?
  - yummyfajitas 16y ago
    Google Shopper for Android does this.
  - gmac 16y ago
    The Amazon UK iPhone app does this. Or there's RedLaser, which gives you Google Shopping results + local libraries and bookshops. It's brilliant. Though I usually try to buy some things in the shop too, if it's a place I want to survive.
  - tseabrooks 16y ago
    Newest (US) Amazon app has bar code scanning for a product... Then add to cart.
  - potatolicious 16y ago
    Not just barcodes, it can recognize DVD/book/CD covers too. You can even take pictures of items (iPods, laptops, toys, etc) and it will do its best to identify the item and find it on Amazon. It's pretty slick.
    - WalterBright 16y ago
      darn it, the ipod version of that app won't do barcodes.
adamc 16y ago
Ethically problematic, but yes.
- larsberg 16y ago
  Unless their margins on coffee are high enough to subsidize a book inventory. At which point, they could basically be a library without the lending.
- lukev 16y ago
  Why is it ethically problematic? There is no implied assumption that I will buy something when I walk into a store. People comparison shop all the time. And as long as you aren't damaging the books, and as long as the store isn't so crowded that you're discouraging other potential customers, the store looses absolutely nothing by having you there. In fact, they always gain something - there's always the off chance you'll see something and decide you don't want to wait for it to ship.
  - stoney 16y ago
    For me it's a grey area. For a small specialist shop where I receive useful advice? I'd almost definitely pay the higher price in return for the service offered by the shop. For a bookstore where all I did was wander around on my own occasionally looking at product? I don't know. I'd like for book stores to continue existing, but I don't know if they're worth the premium.
- InclinedPlane 16y ago
  Not ethically problematic at all, economically problematic for Borders, certainly. As another poster pointed out, Borders offers the same products as online bookstores except with a substantial markup. Markups need to be justified with some sort of value-add, what's the value-add for Borders? Quick access to books? That's a dubious advantage in the age of Amazon Prime and e-books, especially when weighed against the disadvantages of physical bookstores such as time wasted waiting in line, time wasted making a trip to the store to pick up a specific book that it turns out they don't have in stock, etc. Borders is a retail store heavy company, and they haven't made any significant changes in their store in response to competition from online stores. That's a huge red-flag and is nobody's fault but theirs.
ghshephard 16y ago
I'm embarrassed to admit that I was standing in line at a Borders (Or was it a Barne's and Nobles, anyways, one of them) in Emmeryville after catching a movie, waiting to purchase a book that had caught my eye - the line was moving somewhat slowly, so, while waiting, I popped up my iPhone, brought up the amazon web page, found the book (for about 20% less) - bought it, and started reading it in the Kindel App before I got to the front of the line. I felt somewhat bad about just handing the Cashier the book and leaving the store, but it was a really long line.
fuzzythinker 16y ago
True for > few months ago, when their 33% off coupon* only comes every other weekends or so. Since few months ago, their 33% off comes almost as soon as previous one expired. Every month or so, they would have a 40% too, and two 50% offs during the xmas holidays. So if you're in need of a printed book the same day or Amazon's prices aren't lower than discounted price + tax + your time, Borders is still a good place to buy books. * (just show it to them if you have a smart phone).

Borders (noun) Bor'-ders - a coffee shop where one previews books they'll buy online for 40% less.

by edw519 16y ago

Borders (noun) Bor'-ders - a coffee shop where one previews books they'll buy online for 40% less.

Very true. And with the Amazon iPhone app, you don't even have to leave to finish your purchase. Just scan the barcode, purchase, and continue enjoying your coffee.

nopassrecover 16y ago
Wait you can barcode books into an Amazon cart!?
- yummyfajitas 16y ago
  Google Shopper for Android does this.
- gmac 16y ago
  The Amazon UK iPhone app does this. Or there's RedLaser, which gives you Google Shopping results + local libraries and bookshops. It's brilliant. Though I usually try to buy some things in the shop too, if it's a place I want to survive.
- tseabrooks 16y ago
  Newest (US) Amazon app has bar code scanning for a product... Then add to cart.
- potatolicious 16y ago
  Not just barcodes, it can recognize DVD/book/CD covers too. You can even take pictures of items (iPods, laptops, toys, etc) and it will do its best to identify the item and find it on Amazon. It's pretty slick.
  - WalterBright 16y ago
    darn it, the ipod version of that app won't do barcodes.

adamc 16y ago

Ethically problematic, but yes.

larsberg 16y ago
Unless their margins on coffee are high enough to subsidize a book inventory. At which point, they could basically be a library without the lending.
lukev 16y ago
Why is it ethically problematic? There is no implied assumption that I will buy something when I walk into a store. People comparison shop all the time. And as long as you aren't damaging the books, and as long as the store isn't so crowded that you're discouraging other potential customers, the store looses absolutely nothing by having you there. In fact, they always gain something - there's always the off chance you'll see something and decide you don't want to wait for it to ship.
- stoney 16y ago
  For me it's a grey area. For a small specialist shop where I receive useful advice? I'd almost definitely pay the higher price in return for the service offered by the shop. For a bookstore where all I did was wander around on my own occasionally looking at product? I don't know. I'd like for book stores to continue existing, but I don't know if they're worth the premium.
InclinedPlane 16y ago
Not ethically problematic at all, economically problematic for Borders, certainly. As another poster pointed out, Borders offers the same products as online bookstores except with a substantial markup. Markups need to be justified with some sort of value-add, what's the value-add for Borders? Quick access to books? That's a dubious advantage in the age of Amazon Prime and e-books, especially when weighed against the disadvantages of physical bookstores such as time wasted waiting in line, time wasted making a trip to the store to pick up a specific book that it turns out they don't have in stock, etc. Borders is a retail store heavy company, and they haven't made any significant changes in their store in response to competition from online stores. That's a huge red-flag and is nobody's fault but theirs.

ghshephard 16y ago

I'm embarrassed to admit that I was standing in line at a Borders (Or was it a Barne's and Nobles, anyways, one of them) in Emmeryville after catching a movie, waiting to purchase a book that had caught my eye - the line was moving somewhat slowly, so, while waiting, I popped up my iPhone, brought up the amazon web page, found the book (for about 20% less) - bought it, and started reading it in the Kindel App before I got to the front of the line. I felt somewhat bad about just handing the Cashier the book and leaving the store, but it was a really long line.

fuzzythinker 16y ago

True for > few months ago, when their 33% off coupon* only comes every other weekends or so. Since few months ago, their 33% off comes almost as soon as previous one expired. Every month or so, they would have a 40% too, and two 50% offs during the xmas holidays. So if you're in need of a printed book the same day or Amazon's prices aren't lower than discounted price + tax + your time, Borders is still a good place to buy books. * (just show it to them if you have a smart phone).