[Leica] Border's bankruptcy

[gcr910 at gmail.com (Greg Rubenstein)]

Anybody consider the management factor?

Received a mass e-mail from the CEO, as did thousands of others on the 
chain's mailing list, talking about all the changes in the business: in 
essence, blaming everyone else.

The chain seems to have been run the same way as newspapers whose management 
totally blew it in failing to adapt their business models to changing 
conditions. 

And there is the real estate equation; I haven't a clue what Borders faced 
in terms of leases and overall property ownership costs (had and has some 
awfully pricey locations in Chicago which, with my limited knowledge, would 
have to do extraordinarily high volumes to be viable).

Luckily, I have Hyde Park nearby and the handful of local new, used and 
academic bookstores that surround The University of Chicago. Truth is these 
stores and, likely, similar operations near many other universities, beat 
the heck out of Borders and others. 

Business/competition may be tough, but make changes, adapt. Isn't that what 
we do when caught without a flash, tripod, the lens we want, the kind of 
light we crave, etc. 

Solve the problem. Do not blame conditions or others. To quote Larry the 
Cable Guy, "Get 'er done."

Greg Rubenstein 

Sent from my iPhone