Borders in Blachardstown S.C closing down

ongarite

Spotted this in the Bargain Alerts forum.

Borders in WestEnd retail part in Blanchardstown S.C is closing down & is having a shop clearance with 50% off most stock (books, cds, dvds)

I've have heard rumours of it closing down last year but its really happening this time. That will make one less Starbucks also.

Quite a few empties popping up in the centre now.

Enii

This will be a big loss to Westend.

athtrasna

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! It's my favourite shop in the entire centre!!

Pineapple stu

Just because they have a sale on it doesnt mean they are closing. Its my favourite shop also and seems a busy place with a good range.

ongarite

Its no sale, they are closing 10th August.

athtrasna

Is business that bad?

Gaspode

It is a nice shop, but I've always found them overpriced compared to other book shops.
Cant say I'll miss it tbh, but I'm probably the only one in my family who feels that way, the rest of them really like the place.

athtrasna

Feel a bit better about it now, it's a Borders issue rather than a Blanch issue, closing 4 stores in the UK too including the London flagship store. Feel sorry for the staff!

oblivious

The starbucks in their was also one of good place where breastfeed mothers could go in peace or so I am told

RorTHorN

bit of a shame this.
Have to check it out now and stock up on books for my hols

Suzannem

it is my fav shop at the centre too!! :eek: I can easily spend over an hour there. hmm maybe i will make a trip over today.

Dionysus

Just got this (http://www.bordersmail.com/emails/web/214/183/183/2/8/810396/9ec12992e14a1ff2b3b3cf8e407994c9/) in my regular email from Borders in Blanchardstown. They are closing down and moving out of Ireland where, according to this (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055007352) Boards.ie post, they opened in October 2006.

How many more large chains will go if one of the biggest bookstores in the world is pulling out of Ireland so quickly.

Smart Bug

Well, that's a turn-up for the books.

SuperDude87

One of the more decent bookshops I've ever been in back home, sad but people mustn't be reading anymore!!

All joking aside I never found their prices a problem and they was always a good crowd in it. Shame!

Jip

Dionysus wrote: »

They are closing down and moving out of Ireland where, according to this (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055007352) Boards.ie post, they opened in October 2006.

How many more large chains will go if one of the biggest bookstores in the world is pulling out of Ireland so quickly.

It has nothing to do with Ireland, they're also closing several UK stores.

athtrasna

Tried to get in this evening and it was like there was a food delivery during a famine!! The crowds were huge, no room to move around, the queues were MILES long and the car parks stuffed. Was just out of the dentist and in bad form so didn't hang around.

The Paperchase stuff isn't in the sale BTW...photo albums etc which are some of my favourite things there. Most cards not in the sale either.

glossy

was standing in the queue for over an hour, well worth for the bargins though...

athtrasna

Door locked at 7 tonight despite being open til 8 according to them on the phone and staff posting on the bargain thread

Zaph

It was crazy up there, I queued for 55 minutes, they really had no option but to close the doors. I knew the queue was long when I joined it, but had I realised how slow moving it was I wouldn't have bothered. Still, saved a decent few quid.

While their prices were a bit high, it was the only decent sized bookshop between here and town, so it'll definitely be a loss.

Sundew

God I'm disgusted about them closing. I didn't hear a peep (except for a tiny piece in yesterday's Indo which didn't confirm anything) about it till we went over for a browse tonight. I was wondering why people were streaming out of the place with Borders paper bags tonight. We arrived over and they wouldn't let us in
It really was a great bookstore and the opening times were late which suited me. Spent many an evening over there and we always supported them. Had some really interesting books that even Hoggis Figgis didn't carry. I am really sad!!!! :(:(:(

Suzannem

yeah, such a pity. I will have to take a visit tommorrow then.

As far as i know it is the only borders bookstore in Ireland.

there is always a good enough amount of people there, it is the only place i buy books.


It looks like Books Unlimted is having a bad time with this recession too, selling half of its space of the shop and it was empty over the christmas time.

Sundew

I'm bloody raging cause I got an email from Borders the other day and never read it ,just deleted it as I was doing a clearout
There really isn't any decent bookstores left in Blanch after that so it's back to supporting Hoggis figgis. The hubbby only spent €27 on an engineering book on Sunday :eek: he should have waited!! Will pop over in the morning and hopefully I will get in !

Rosita

I am very disappointed to see this shop close. I must have spent about a thousand euro on books there since it opened, and some more in its Oxford Street store, and it was a lovely place to while away some time.

I will hardly go through the hassle of the queues to buy books which I would not have been prepared to pay full price for in the first place since I have so many that I have never got around to reading yet. But it must be sadly ironic for the staff to see the queues out the door at this stage when a fraction of that custom consistently might have kept the place open.

Borders did have weaknesses for the serious book person, for example their selection of Irish-relevant stuff was not great and they often appeared to have stock direct from Britain, but as a regular - at least three times a week -I will miss it.

I suppose it's a reality now that in the same way that the big bookshops killed off the little second-hand guys, the internet is slowly killing off all the bookshops. It is another realiity that there also seemed to be a book-buying 'bubble' in the last number of years with even the most mediocre of books starting in hardback and then issuing in paperback which suggested an unsustainable level of purchasing. And when you see newspaper columnists putting their already published and read columns into book format it's a bit like the old yarn about Joe Kennedy and the shoeshine boy - a sure sign that things are gone nuts.

LookingFor

I've expressed my feelings more comprehensively in the bargain alert thread, but it's a terrible shame.

Apparently 'new look', a next clone, is moving in to the 5 stores borders is closing. Just what blanchardstown needs, another bloody clothes store :rolleyes:

I wonder if there's any chance of them keeping the starbucks or if they'll just gut the whole place and have two levels of clothes.

daymobrew

athtrasna wrote: »

Door locked at 7 tonight despite being open til 8 according to them on the phone and staff posting on the bargain thread

A note in the window says that they will close the doors at 7pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends. The tills will close at 9pm on weekdays and 8pm on weekends, at which point all customers will have to leave the store.

The queue at 11:15am today was HUGE. It was easily over 100 people - and, Zaph's 55min wait, is not surprising.
It might be a good idea to browse at your leisure and then come back bang on 9am to buy the books.

Rosser

It's a real shame about Borders a great store with great staff, Westend won't have much attraction for me from here on.

Might be like trying to push a stone up a hill but there's a petition being organised to try to save the store, it's worth giving it a go and if everyone who posts signed you never know what might happen...details below:

http://saveborders.blogspot.com/

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saveborders/#signpetition

Sir Humphrey

It is quite an extraordinary lesson in human nature to hear of people queueing for ages merely because they get €15 or €25 books for half-price. I bet if the shop had been selling the books at the lower price all along the majority of these people would not have noticed or cared!

But now there's a mad rush to buy books they don't really want (if they did want them they'd have paid full price) and probably won't read, simply because the price is reduced! All the more extraordinary when the same books could be picked up on the net or second-hand for a song in a few months time.

There's nowt so queer as folk.

Pineapple stu

I know they announced a while back that they were closing up but said that the Dublin stores wasnt effected. I wonder that if the recent rent hikes had anything to do with it. Some rates were trebled so its no wonder that shops were closing down.

LookingFor

Sir Humphrey wrote: »

It is quite an extraordinary lesson in human nature to hear of people queueing for ages merely because they get €15 or €25 books for half-price. I bet if the shop had been selling the books at the lower price all along the majority of these people would not have noticed or cared!

But now there's a mad rush to buy books they don't really want (if they did want them they'd have paid full price) and probably won't read, simply because the price is reduced! All the more extraordinary when the same books could be picked up on the net or second-hand for a song in a few months time.

There's nowt so queer as folk.

In fairness I think a lot of this initial interest is/was in school books. 50% off the cost of your kids' books for the year would be a big deal for a lot of people. I'm hoping things will calm down now they're gone (I think they're all gone anyway).

But yeah, I do think in general big sales make people go a bit crazy Especially when there's a blanket price cut on everything in a store.

T-Maxx

Sir Humphrey wrote: »

It is quite an extraordinary lesson in human nature to hear of people queueing for ages merely because they get €15 or €25 books for half-price. I bet if the shop had been selling the books at the lower price all along the majority of these people would not have noticed or cared!

But now there's a mad rush to buy books they don't really want (if they did want them they'd have paid full price) and probably won't read, simply because the price is reduced! All the more extraordinary when the same books could be picked up on the net or second-hand for a song in a few months time.

There's nowt so queer as folk.

+1

Also, if all of these avid readers bought these books at full price, maybe the shop would not have had to close down.

Zaph

Well the books I bought I would have bought almost all of anyway over the coming months, but probably not at Borders because, as I mentioned earlier, their prices were always a little high.

athtrasna

T-Maxx wrote: »

+1

Also, if all of these avid readers bought these books at full price, maybe the shop would not have had to close down.

As quoted in the Bargains forum, and as staff told me and several other customers, Borders Blanchardstown was doing well, better than a lot of the other stores in the UK which aren't closing down. That's why it came as a shock. Borders was constantly busy for a shop of its size.

Part of the reason I queued was for books but also for some Paperchase photo albums I'd been buying at €20+, I stocked up at half price. Also got some good deals on DVDs. To be honest, the only things I bought because of the sale were cards (which are still expensive, even at half price).

If anyone is thinking of going to Borders in the next couple of days I would advise you to get there early, ie opening time. Leave the kids at home if you can, it's a nightmare for them. Try and get a basket, if not consider a shopping bag a la Superquinn/Tesco finest, the woven type that are easier on the hands. Bring a drink and wear light clothing. When I was there the queue started before the back wall ie around the poetry and religion section, snaked along the back wall, up the shop and several times around the front of the shop. The rear section (under Starbucks) was incredibly stuffy when I was queueing.

Sundew

Agree with many of the sentiments that if people had supported it before now it may not have had to close. Our most recent purchase there was a €30 book on Sunday Evening. We live closer to the city centre but always made the effort to drive to Blanch to actually support them.
I arrived over yesterday and as I already knew where everything was even if I had a blindfold on. I picked up some recent books in a(mostly great reference stuff) which I had been looking at. Managed to get the DK visual guide to birds reduced from €45 to €18 :eek: I nearly bought it in Chapters afew months ago but was waiting for it to reduce!
Took an hour an 20 minutes to reach the till though it was worth it. I did feel really bad for the staff and was chatting to one of the guys who I knew to see. He seemed to be pretty upset about the whole thing. If you are not prepared to queue and not into your books then I wouldn't bother. But the good books are flying of the shelves.
If you can bring a friend and take it in turn to queue and browse!

flame123

Damn .. just read about it closing now .... Ok, packing a lunch and heading over

Where will I meet friends now for a relaxing coffee..???

Rosita

athtrasna wrote: »

Bring a drink and wear light clothing.

This whole situation sounds nuts when it comes down to advice like this.

Suzannem

Went in yesterday around 2pm, left at around 4:30pm Spent €80 on books, cds & dvds (the ones i wanted)

Que's were long but worth the wait, I think it took about 20mins to reach the till.

Still lots of great books left

Suzannem

PS Easons is the worst bookstore that I have ever come across

they need to redesign it, and make it comfortable to look at books. instead of cramped conditions.

The one on o'conell street is a big fat joke.

This all we have left

what2do

Hi there
Anyone know what time Borders will open tomorrow (sun) morn??

Thanks

dirtynosebeps

what2do wrote: »

Hi there
Anyone know what time Borders will open tomorrow (sun) morn??

Thanks

here ya go. post 137.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055619961&page=10

Murt10

I was in Borders yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. Queues were mad. They went back down to the end of the shop. I spotted a number of things I wanted and left. I wasn't going to spend a whole Sunday afternoon queueing.

I went back in today at 12.30. Picked up what I had been looking at and had to queue up for about 5 mins to pay for it.

Must say, that for about the first time in my life, I felt a bit queasy about bargain hunting there. I felt like a vulture feeding on the carcass of a dying animal, rather than the normal feeling I get, when I get something at 1/2 price. (Didn't stop me buying though).



Murt

Gaspode

Strange thing, but while I love books, I just couldnt be ar%ed queueing for ages just to get a cheap book.
Even the possibilty of cutting our big school books bill isnt tempting me.

Guess I'm not good at waiting in line!

Rosita

Gaspode wrote: »

Strange thing, but while I love books, I just couldnt be ar%ed queueing for ages just to get a cheap book.
Even the possibilty of cutting our big school books bill isnt tempting me.

Guess I'm not good at waiting in line!

It's a funny thing, I am the same as you in that I love books but would have no interest in these queues.

Never has a week passed in the last 15 months or so when I haven't been in Borders at the very least once, but I haven't gone down there since I heard about these queues.

I really do not want to spend a fortune buying books/CDs/DVDs on the basis of price alone which is what would happen if I went. And I'd be quite happy to pay extra elsewhere without the queue for a book I did want.

Stinjy

Rosita wrote: »

This whole situation sounds nuts when it comes down to advice like this.

+1 =]
its all a bit mad if you ask me but I will be sad one of the great places to sit and read a book.. =[

Pineapple stu

No queue when i was there, then again there wasnt many books either

sheffgall

I would just like to say does anyone think of the staff at borders.
Please dont ask staff is it half price the half price this makes no sense you are asking is it a quarter of the price.
Please think of the staff

Gaspode

I'm not sure what you're trying to say there sheffgall, but it made me think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo

Enii

sheffgall wrote: »

I would just like to say does anyone think of the staff at borders.
Please dont ask staff is it half price the half price this makes no sense you are asking is it a quarter of the price.
Please think of the staff

!!!!!!!!!!

Sundew

sheffgall wrote: »

I would just like to say does anyone think of the staff at borders.
Please dont ask staff is it half price the half price this makes no sense you are asking is it a quarter of the price.
Please think of the staff

Been thinking of the staff ever since I found out. It's a terrible blow and I do sympathize with them loosing their jobs.
Not alone that but the staff in Borders were a delight. They always had time for a chat and expressed an interest in the books you were buying.
I really did feel awful on the queues and have not gone back since as it's too upsetting to see the shop being depleted of it's stock and areas closed off.

sheffgall

Sundew wrote: »

Been thinking of the staff ever since I found out. It's a terrible blow and I do sympathize with them loosing their jobs.
Not alone that but the staff in Borders were a delight. They always had time for a chat and expressed an interest in the books you were buying.
I really did feel awful on the queues and have not gone back since as it's too upsetting to see the shop being depleted of it's stock and areas closed off.

The store will be closing on the 9th of august. I think ther may be more reductions.
Thanks for thinking of the staff in this time of need.:o

sheffgall

athtrasna wrote: »

As quoted in the Bargains forum, and as staff told me and several other customers, Borders Blanchardstown was doing well, better than a lot of the other stores in the UK which aren't closing down. That's why it came as a shock. Borders was constantly busy for a shop of its size.

Part of the reason I queued was for books but also for some Paperchase photo albums I'd been buying at €20+, I stocked up at half price. Also got some good deals on DVDs. To be honest, the only things I bought because of the sale were cards (which are still expensive, even at half price).

If anyone is thinking of going to Borders in the next couple of days I would advise you to get there early, ie opening time. Leave the kids at home if you can, it's a nightmare for them. Try and get a basket, if not consider a shopping bag a la Superquinn/Tesco finest, the woven type that are easier on the hands. Bring a drink and wear light clothing. When I was there the queue started before the back wall ie around the poetry and religion section, snaked along the back wall, up the shop and several times around the front of the shop. The rear section (under Starbucks) was incredibly stuffy when I was queueing.

All paperchase cards 1.00 now

LostinBlanch

sheffgall wrote: »

The store will be closing on the 9th of august. I think ther may be more reductions.
Thanks for thinking of the staff in this time of need.:o

Well no one wants them to lose their jobs. God only knows why it's closing and other stores in the UK who aren't doing well are closing down.