If they can't afford to hire more people (there are more costs to hiring than just a new employee's salary) then why not take an idea from grocery stores: install self-check out machines.
Make the store friendlier and easier to shop. I can't tell you how many times I've gone looking for a book and not being able to find it. ZOOM! Out the door I go to find it online. The bummer is that I often think of books as a last minute gift idea so going to Border's makes more sense than punishing myself by paying for overnight shipping (which isn't always overnight as in next day as it turns out!! I can pay for overnight shipping, but processing and handling can take days!) ... so I go to the store, only to find the book isn't there or only available via special order.
Leave video games, game systems and games to the toy stores. If my book isn't available because of shelf space, re-think your offerings. Border's isn't the first place I go when I need a Wii.
Further increase your offerings of international newspapers and magazines. I have subscribed to some super cool international magazines, but that can get expensive. Instead, I would love to give my money to Border's and pick up the occasional issue. Tout the fact that you sell the widest selection of international media anywhere.
Help me get the visual out of my head that the State Street store and the Michigan Avenue store are one in the same! I can picture one and immediately think of the other because they are twins!
Posted by: Tom on Mar 06, 09 | 9:18 am
But hiring employees cost money. Their first step is probably going to eliminate the majority of their costs... by stocking less books. Less books = less people standing in line waiting to buy books, right? Problem solved.
I hope they pay attention to your letter. It seems stupid when profitable (or potentially profitable) businesses just give up. How far away is the next closest Borders to this one?
Posted by: sparx on Mar 06, 09 | 10:03 am
The next closest Borders is about one mile away, but in a completely different shopping area than the Michigan Avenue Borders. Both have a consistent line. Both will die a slow death unless their realize their core strengths and start actually using them. It's just like newspapers. They will die a slow death, because they don't realize what customers are thinking.
Posted by: spudart on Mar 06, 09 | 10:10 am
I say repeatedly that my idea will work. But I know, of course, that it could not work. But when writing letters like this, the style needs to be positive and provide a vision. Positive solid words inspire more than wimpy half-excited words. In all reality this idea will probably fail. But it's an idea I have yet to see implemented at either of the downtown Chicago stores. Why kill your main strength? I wonder if they would have to hire more employees. Could they take people off the floor that are helping to work the registers? Personally, I wouldn't mind not having someone on the floor to help me. That's secondary. They need to change their priorities from helping on the floor to quick checkouts.
Posted by: spudart on Mar 06, 09 | 10:12 am
Spud -
Your letter is AWESOME. I especially like how you've broken everything down into easy-to-digest sections.
You're right. The lines are horrendous. Why don't they open more cash registers on the upper floors? I know they have them up there, but there's never anyone there!
Tom - Do you ever use Borders' book-lookup thing? They have computers randomly placed throughout the store. You just type in the title of the book and it tells you what section it's in. It's not fool-proof though -- you still have to find the book on the shelf, which can sometimes take a while. But at least you're not wandering around aimlessly :-)
I was actually really surprised to hear about this particular store closing. That corner of Michigan Ave. (right across the street from Water Tower Place) is a hotbed of tourist activity, especially in the warmer months. I think you've hit the nail on the head, Spud -- those lines are EXACTLY what turns people away!
Posted by: Lisa S. on Mar 06, 09 | 1:34 pm
why couldn't they just put some self-checkout lanes in? you know, like the ones at jewel and cvs?
those have one employee monitoring 4 registers! and man, books would be sooo much faster and easier to self-check than a cart-full of produce.
Posted by: donna on Mar 06, 09 | 2:22 pm
I can remember shopping at the original Borders in Ann Arbor, back before they expanded, sold out to Kmart, then bought themselves back again... back then customer service WAS their business.
Carto,
Borders was bought out by Kmart. Ha! Wow.
Posted by: spudart on Mar 06, 09 | 7:50 pm
yeah, they have self-checkouts at the library, why not the bookstore...
there must be some reason they don't want to try to save that store. i wonder if they will get back to you.
Posted by: Sarah on Mar 07, 09 | 1:18 am
You should have attached a copy of Owens ideas for design. :) Posted by: sparx on Mar 07, 09 | 6:46 am
The reason the Michigan Ave. Store is closing is because the store has never made a profit since it's first day. Think of what the rent for that space is, now add on the overhead for a spot that size add managers salaries employees paychecks and how many people do you think they have in there at a time to help customers at the registers and on the floor. Now for the real sad news, Borders did not want to close that spot they tried to renegotiate the lease but whoever owns that spot said no.
NOw tell me this when people are not spending money and sales are down 25% across the board how do you pay to add more registers or hire new employees to man them. Not only is there the construction costs, but also training. It's funny how in your letter you don't give any ideas on how this can be achieved in this economy, or are you so well off that you have not noticed the economy is killing EVERYONE and companies are making cuts everywhere they can. The only thing you can say is "I DON'T LIKE TO WAIT"
Posted by: Dave on Apr 26, 09 | 6:20 pm
snap.
Posted by: spudart on Apr 26, 09 | 8:31 pm
@Dave - AKA "Mr Grumpypants":
"Think of what the rent for that space is" - you know why? Because it's a PRIME location. It's where people are. It's not like the place is abandoned.
It's full of customers, and somehow Borders still can't turn a profit.
It's got so many customers that there are lines that last MINUTES.. and somehow Borders still can't turn a profit.
And some of those customers are walking off without exchanging money for goods because they have to wait for such a long time.
"how do you pay to add more registers or hire new employees to man them. " - You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to open up a grocery store and keep prices LOW by not hiring anyone to work the registers. I'll just let the customers stand in line until the get frustrated and leave - with their money.
"The only thing you can say is 'I DON'T LIKE TO WAIT'" - yes.. or he could look at the possible problems, find the most obvious, propose an easy fix (whether it's feasible for them to implement it is another story), and send them an easy to read letter. Perhaps just complaining works well in your world, but some people like to take a more active role and INTERACT with and try to IMPROVE the world.
Posted by: sparx on Apr 26, 09 | 9:07 pm
I'm with Sparx. Dave is missing the picture. THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE IN LINE BUYING STUFF and people walk away refusing to buy stuff because the line is too long. Don't use the current economy as an excuse, Dave. The fact remains that people WANT to buy stuff at that Borders and they don't because there's so many other people buying stuff in front of them in line.
They actually carry a large number of political and social black/afro american based books which I like. I dont really like the Zane series going on in the Literature section though. Very busy Borders, always a line.
I've written an essay about this: "Borders on Michigan: An Elegy" -
http://ryanmccarl.blogspot.com/2009/06/borders-on-michigan-elegy.html
Enjoy,
Ryan
The company doesn't have any money. There are no payroll hours given to the stores to add cashiers. Borders, like many bookstores, have operated on a "credit" system with publishers from the beginning of time. Borders cannot pay their bills on time. There is no money. Publishers don't just send out books to companies that won't pay them. Therefore, reduced inventory. The booksellers are now being forced to "recommend" certain books to the customers. They have to try to sell these select books, above all others, in order to put these books on the bestsellers lists and make nice with the publishing companies.
Yes there are always people buying things at Borders. There are lines. However, most of those people are purchasing their items at a significant discount using coupons that are emailed to them through the Borders Rewards program. These coupons are supposed to get people into the store, and help increase sales. However, people take advantage of the situation, print many copies of the same coupons, and use them over and over. Borders has no system in place to prevent this from happening, so they lose more money.
I love Borders, I have for a long time. But, they have made a lot of bad decisions that I'm not sure they can recover from.
Posted by: Katie on Jul 12, 09 | 8:51 am
Katie, thank you very much for your explanation. Wow. So it looks like the model for a bookstore to carry a bajillion different titles in a bricks and mortar store is a flawed model.
I'm glad we still have libraries. Sometimes I think we are just really spoiled. I need to appreciate the knowledge we already have waiting on our shelves, instead of desiring new new new.
Posted by: spudart on Jul 13, 09 | 10:19 am
You should work in a library... in Interlibrary-Loan like me! :)
Heck, I can get myself books that don't even exist! :-P
Posted by: sparx on Jul 13, 09 | 10:49 am
How do you get books that don't exist? Are you talking about the library of your mind? Or are you mind-probing other people again?
Posted by: spudart on Jul 13, 09 | 10:56 am
You make it sound wrong!
Posted by: sparx on Jul 13, 09 | 11:15 am
BREAKING NEWS!
The lease on the Mich Ave Borders has been extended for another year. The store will remain open at least through Jan. 2011 instead of Jan. 2010.
I think your letter worked, spud!
oop. I forgot the link to the news story for my previous comment:
"Borders extends lease on Michigan Avenue"
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=35805
Maybe Borders followed my advice and got more cashiers. I know the last couple times I've been in there I only had one person in line in front of me.
Posted by: spudart on Oct 22, 09 | 11:11 am
YES LUCKILY WERE STAYING OPEN SO WE CAN HEAR YOUR RIDICULOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THERE BEING TOO LONG OF A WAIT. LUCKY US. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY WAITING FOR 5 SMALL MINUTES.
Posted by: Mark on Jan 18, 10 | 4:43 pm
The new DM of Chicago stores, former GM of Michigan Ave., is encouraging favoritism throughout his companies higher ranks. He is known to only move up his guy buddies to GM statuses within months of working only supervisory jobs. These entitled people do not know the ins and outs of business. Those long lines are the last things any of these mostly great booksellers have to worry about. They are constantly watching their backs. This company is going down, and they are they ones sweating it out.
Posted by: Anonymus on Jan 25, 10 | 3:27 pm
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