I have to share some weird things I've seen over the past week. If you've visited my blog over the course of the last few weeks, you've heard me bemoan the loss of our Borders. Our store was a real revenue maker so it is staying open as they try to sell as much merchandise as they can before closing for good. The workers in the store told me they would be receiving products from other stores that have already been closed.
The book sections are really picked over and fantasy, mystery and the literature sections are still only 30% off but I still stop in when I'm near the store to see what might have been shipped in. Borders has always had a great selection of journals and calendars. I often browsed the game and jigsaw puzzle shelves though Borders' stock was a far second to B&N's. One could always find some pens, gift bags, cups and a few other odds and ends that made cute gifts for the hard-to-buy-for relative.
But today I went into Borders and saw things that made me laugh out loud. I can only guess these items were shipped in from other stores. Stacks and stacks of bath towels, adult bundles and pink and blue infant sets. Not far inside the door was a table full of gift sets of fragrances, male and female scents. I couldn't quite believe it. Was I seeing one of the reasons the business failed? Who buys towels at a bookstore? The aisles near the books were packed with people browsing but I didn't see a single person looking at the towels or colognes.
I know some of you have witnessed the slow, ugly melting of their Borders. Have you seen some odd things appearing as they shuffled merchandise from store to store? What is the most out-of-place thing you've ever seen in any bookstore?
9 comments:
Bath towels? Now that's odd. Like looking for books at a JC Penney.
Perhaps the towels are there because of the crying customers.
I agree--a strange collection!
Maybe they're crying towels -- to catch the tears of sad customers and employees? :o)
I was in a Borders yesterday and saw the stacks of towels. No idea where they came from!
What was odd was all the items from the coffee shop for sale. And not the stuff they sold, the stuff they made coffee with, held creamers, etc.
The gifts, magazines, and calendars were picked over, but not the books. As my husband said, even with 30% off, most of the books were still more expensive than what we could find online or in ebook form.
I agree with you about the books, Diane.
Great minds think alike about the towels. I'm going to stop in next week just out of curiosity to see what shows up next. (if the store is still open)
Towels? That's downright weird!!
Our bookstores have the little gift items, but they're mostly associated with reading. No towels yet!
lol towels? So funny.
I used to work in a bookstore and I'd write down all the weird things people would ask for. The weirdest was a glass of water...
If they were Westeros towels, with the different crests on them, I'd be there. Otherwise, that sounds weird.
The only out of place things I've seen are things like travel Battleship etc. Though I've seen them so much that I've become used to their presence in a bookstore.
Towels? People will sell anything to make a buck. I saw their DVD section, or what remained of it. All the good ones were gone. Just the ones nobody wanted remained. Real stinker movies.
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