Business & Tech
Union City Borders to Close
The bookstore chain, which filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, will close about one third of its superstores, including its Union City and Fremont locations.
Say goodbye to the Union City bookstore.
As a result of the Chapter 11 filing made by Borders Group, Inc., last week, the Borders at Union Landing will close its doors by the end of April, along with about 200 other superstores across the country.
The Borders in the Fremont Hub is also slated for closure. (A full list of closing stores is attached to this article.)
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According to a Borders Group press release, the company “identified certain underperforming stores” for closure, which are “a reflection of economic conditions, cost structures and viability, among other factors, and not on the dedication and productivity of the workforce in these stores.”
The 25,000-square-foot Union City branch opened in late 2000 and currently employs 32 people, according to Borders Group spokesperson Mary Davis. The company employs about 13,000 individuals in all, she said.
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“We’re very disappointed to be losing a bookstore in Union City,” said Union City Economic Development Director Joan Malloy.
Borders was the only book store of its scale dedicated to books and media, she said.
Despite the current economy, Malloy said she’s optimistic that the large, soon-to-be-vacant space will be filled.
“It’s right off of I-880, it’s in a very solid center,” Malloy said. “All of the businesses there are all doing well.
For those sitting on a must-read book list, now might be the best time to cross off a few titles.
Liquidation sales began over the weekend, with most items discounted 20 to 40 percent. Discounts are likely to grow as the sales continue, Davis said. All sales are final.
In the company-issued press release, Borders Group President Mike Edwards said Borders Group “does not have the capital resources it needs to be a viable competitor” and that the Chapter 11 filing “will give Borders the opportunity to achieve a proper infusion of capital in order to have the opportunity to have the time to reorganize in order to reposition itself to be a successful business for the long term.”
Borders.com continues to function as usual, and Borders will continue to honor its Borders Rewards program, gift cards and other customer programs, the release states.
To learn more about the Borders reorganization, click here.