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NH Bookstore Flips The Script On Struggling Indie Bookseller Narrative

The fact that developer Steve Duprey has another project in the works isn’t terribly surprising.  What is rather intriguing about his latest venture–a 70,000 square foot, five floor edifice on South Main Street in Concord–is one of the slated tenants: A much-expanded Gibson’s Bookstore.  Ben Leubsdorf of the Concord Monitor writes: “Duprey said he’s particularly […]

Can Bull Moose Survive Where Borders Couldn’t?

In an earlier version of this post, our photo caption described Portland, Maine as Bull Moose’s “original stomping grounds.”  The company actually opened its first store in Brunswick, Maine.  We regret the error.  The fate of prime strip mall real estate in New England might not be sealed just yet.  The hallowed halls of Borders Books stores aren’t […]

More Bad News For Borders Fans

In his blog for the Concord Monitor, Ben Leubsdorf reports that Borders has pounded the last nail into the coffin of its Fort Eddy store.  It looks like rival Books-A-Million won’t be taking over the strip mall space after all.  So big-box bookstore devotees will have to go farther afield to take advantage of three-for-the-price-of-two sales […]

Why Borders Books Failed and Barnes & Noble Didn’t

Annie Lowrey at Slate wrote a decent summary of how a series of bad top-level decisions laid the course for Borders Books closing.  In a nutshell: The internet didn’t do it. Granted, in today’s bookselling world, that’s like saying, “No.  Really.  It wasn’t the butler.”  Which is basically what Lowrey says, at least for the most part.  She […]

State Prepares For Borders Closing

Between its Express stores and the strip mall behemoths, Borders Books actually had a pretty good presence across southern and central New Hampshire, and as far up as North Conway.  The fact that it closed wasn’t surprising to anyone who’s been following news from the chain over the past year or so.  But what was […]

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