Melville Firm Selling Off Borders Stores

A Melville real estate firm is tasked with filling 257 Borders stores across the nation after low sales forced the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain to liquidate last month.

plans to auction the property leases in two sales. The first auction, which includes Long Island locations in Bohemia, , Syosset, Stonybrook and Riverhead will take place on Aug. 26. The second sale, which includes locations mostly in the western part of the country will take place on Sept. 7.

The retail space available through DJM Realty is in addition to about 225 stores Borders began closing after its February bankruptcy.

The bookstore chain continued to have trouble keeping up with its bills after filing for Chapter 11, especially as e-readers have been pushing physical books out of the market.

Borders President Mike Edwards told the Wall Street Journal last month that the electronic reader revolution coupled with a turbulent economy has brought the company to its end.

The company had a chance of survival when private-equity investor Jahm Najafi looked to buy the company last month, but those plans fell short, leaving Borders two days to scramble for a new buyer. The company was unsuccessful in its search and was forced to close its doors.

All Borders locations are expected to be closed by September.