Borders demise signals end for chain bookstores

Well, that is the headline of this article in the UK retail gazette.

Will the Australian [In the] REDgroup which runs Whitcoulls and Borders in NZ go the same way?  Although on the face of it, the answer seems yes, it's not exactly the same situation as Whitcoulls (like Paper Plus) isn't a bookstore chain: it is and has been for some time a chain of variety stores where books are simply one of its product lines.  There are still big profit margins on things like stationery and novelty items.

The only way bookstores can expect to compete in the Internet age is to stock a good range of books on a good range of subjects, and - most importantly - have staff that have a strong interest in and a good knowledge of books.  None of Whitcoulls stores can be so described (few Paper Plus stores can either): the more likely scenario is that Borders will go and Whitcoulls will simply drop books from their product range.