Borders to Shutter all Stores

The Borders Group announced Monday it would be liquidating its 399 stores nationwide, including and two stores in Waterford.

"Following the best efforts of all parties, we are saddened by this development," said Borders Group President Mike Edwards in a statement. "We were all working hard towards a different outcome, but the headwinds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, eReader revolution, and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now," he added.

The financially troubled organization announced in February that it was closing 200 stores in 35 states throughout the nation as part of bankruptcy proceedings. Six Connecticut stores (Danbury, Manchester, Milford, Simsbury, Southbury and Wilton) were on the February list and in March two more (Fairfield and Stamford) were added. Meriden and Waterford escaped both waves of closings.

After Monday's announcement, 10,700 employees throughout the nation will lose their jobs.

Liquidation could begin as early as this Friday, July 22, pending court approval, and if so, the corporation would expect it to end by the end of September.

Patrons inside the Waterford Commons’ Borders were shocked to hear the news. There is no other place in the area to buy new books, Montville resident Charlotte Pietras said.

“It’s so surprising to me,” Pietras told the Waterford Patch. “This is the one place in the area like this.”

“Wow,” Dan Wilson said, a Norwich resident, after finally regaining his composure after hearing the news. “I’m speechless.”

The most shocking part is the store is always crowded, Pietras said.

Along with the Borders at Waterford Commons, there is a smaller .

Editors note: To view the Waterford Patch story, click .