Borders Opens Its Doors For One More Day

The mood was somber Monday afternoon as Birmingham's prepared to shut its doors for good.

In its final hours, the store reduced the little merchandise available to 90 percent off.

Few books still lined the otherwise scarce shelves, along some of with the company’s office supplies, also now available for purchase. Gone were the movies, novels, music, stationary sets and calendars. The fixtures themselves made up the majority of the store's inventory left to sell.

“It’s sad there are no book stores anymore,” said Kathleen Carleton of Detroit. “Borders was just so conveniently located.”

“They were a local business, a Michigan business,” agreed Jessica Preville, a Berkley resident. “Barnes and Noble is just too expensive.”

after trying to find a bidder for the struggling bookstore chain since declaring bankruptcy in mid-February. Borders had 26 stores in Michigan, including the Birmingham location and one in nearby Beverly Hills, which closed Sunday.

The store has been sold to a team of liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners.

On the final day, the employees watched the customers trickle in one by one and then leave, for the very last time.

Former Birmingham residents Caitlin and Meghan Doyle grew up just down the street from the store and on its last day, noted all the good memories they have had there. The sisters purchased a few leftover notepads before exiting the store for good.

“It’s very sad, we always did our Christmas shopping here,” said Caitlin. “It was always busy, we’ve always come here because Borders has always been a fixture.”

So far, there are no plans for the building.