Borders liquidates, local business benefits

Now that 200 Borders Books and Music stores are slated to close nationwide, the liquidation begins.

Stores in Langhorne and King of Prussia will be in full liquidation mode at 10 a.m. on Saturday. That means deep discounts on not only books, but also shelving, light fixtures, and furniture.

Some of the biggest bargain-hunters will be schools and libraries. Also, independents like Robin’s Bookstore at 13th and Sansom streets.

“A few years ago I would have gone rushing in,” said owner Larry Robin. “When they closed 18th street we bought a lot of shelving and fixtures and computers and stuff like that.”

This year, though, things are different. He’s going in with a strategy: Go early to scout out the goods, then wait around for even deeper discounts as time wears on.

“Everything has to be done very carefully in today’s market,” said Robin.

And that’s something that Borders didn’t understand. Robin laughs, “The chicken’s come home to roost. They were a major part of destroying the book industry and now they’re gone.”

According to Borders, the sales will last until April or until everything goes.