The day Borders closed down for good in Singapore

So friend C asked if I’d wanted to go check out the sale at Borders on Monday, and I’d agreed because it happened to be the last day and I’d wanted to take a look at the Parkway Parade store before it closed down. I can’t believe it either but I’ve never been to Parkway Parade before, and let alone the Borders store. I was surprised because I didnt’t know Borders had another outlet.

When I’d arrived, the place was in quite a mess and friend C morphed into a scavenger just like the other 320,211 in the the bookstore. I walked around halfheartedly, wondering why anyone would buy these books when obviously these were not selling well. Titles range from A guide to Australian weddings, Quicken 2008 for dummies (you mean people are still living in 2008?), Secrets to your successful domestic adoption, Ham radio’s technical culture, Living with progressive multiple sclerosis, and The encyclopedia of Australian boxers. No, thanks; not even at 5 for $20.

It was interesting though looking at what people were doing in the store. Some were aggressively touching every book and checking for reading feasibility, others were stockpiling them on the floor and reading them (freeloaders, Y U NO let Borders off on the last day!), and there were a handful just like me taking snaps and trying to remember all that’s left of Borders.

And there were the furniture buyers who were examining book shelves, acrylic magazine racks, leather couches (yes, the black ones with wooden legs that people were always falling asleep in), used step-stools hoping to get a good deal. No, $30 for a dirty-looking step-stool is not exactly a fire sale. We asked for the price of the huge Borders signboard above the cashier but those were already reserved! Framed posters were available for sale at $20-$30 a piece. Funniest bit was when the cashier asked a paying customer if he wanted the store shopping baskets at $5 each and he said YES! Why anyone would need a Borders basket for, we do not know.

Walking past the now-empty shelves (some of them with the “sold” signs on them), and the Borders’ “lowest prices guaranteed” posters, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry. And it didn’t help that they were blasting “Time to say goodbye” on repeat mode; goodbye to you freeloaders who never bought any books! I’m guilty of that too, I never bought any books from Borders because they look worn and flipped to death. When I used to read hard copies, I bought them from Kinokuniya and now? I download e-books. Yes, I am one of the reasons bookstores are closing down but can you blame me?