Business & Tech

Eatontown Borders Customers Sorry to See Bookstore Close

Borders Group announced Monday that it would begin liquidation by the end of the week.

The bins for $5.99 books outside the store and some deals on CDs by the registers are a small taste of the sales to come in the next few weeks as the bookstore in Eatontown

Borders Group announced Monday it would close its almost 400 stores by September and begin liquidation by the end of the week.

According to a manager of the Eatontown store, who did not give his name due to company policy, the liquidation process would begin this Friday or Saturday.

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He said that he and his approximately 20 fellow employees at the Eatontown store had not been given any additional information other than what had been released to shareholders Monday afternoon.

"It's sad but inevitible," said Red Bank resident Richard Sorrell while picking through the sale books outside the store. "They didn't keep up with the times and expanded at the wrong time."

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In a statement released Monday, Borders President Mike Edwards said the changing book industry and the economy hastened the chain's demise.

"Now there's one less choice," said Ocean Grove resident David Shotwell of the store's closing. "The variety here was nice."

Spring Lake resident Lonni Semple observed that she's seen a lot of bookstore close but there also seems to be a lot more book groups.

"Everyone seems to belong to a book club," she said as she entered the store.

Sorrell, who said he'd been a Borders rewards member for about 10 years, summed it up: "It's always sad to see a bookstore go."


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