Borders Bookstore: Saying Goodbye

Borders Bookstore (Torrance/Hawthorne) going out of business.

I was driving past the Torrance Borders yesterday and decided to visit it one last time before it closes down. As I've mentioned in the past, although I'm an avid reader, I actually dislike books. So, I'm not a frequent book buyer. I usually grab my reads from one of the local libraries, especially since I read odd topics that need to be specially ordered at a standard brick-and-mortar store. However, any place that facilitates the practice of reading is a good thing in my estimation. And I've bought the occasional paperback fantasy, sci fi, romance, or horror novel here over the years.

Therefore, I felt a compulsion to stop by the store one last time to pay my respects. It's always sad to see a store going under, with the stock dwindled down to the unwanted remnants. The employees seem shell shocked and adrift. I've seen many stores close over the decades. It started with the small independent stores during the '80s, replaced by the chain stores and "mall" model of retail with stores such as Waldens or B. Dalton. Then these chain stores got gobbled up by the superstores like Borders or Barnes & Noble. It now looks as if online stores like Amazon and the wonderful emergence of the e-book will be putting the superstores under.



Only the Science and Math shelves have a decent selection left.


That's the way business goes. It's understandable that economies of scale, market presence, and reduced overhead determine the viability of any retail project, but it still makes me feel sad.



Every thing must go, even the security mirror ($100)!!!


So, here's to Borders and all those bookstores that have been crushed under the wheels of industry and progress. Thanks for the memories and the many good reads.