Business & Tech

Update: Evanston Borders Store Slated to Close, Sales Start Saturday

After filing for bankruptcy protection, the chain announced it will close its Evanston location.

Update: Good news for bargain hunters: Crain's Chicago Business is reporting that sales will start on Saturday. Items will be discounted up to 40 percent.

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Another chain store is leaving Evanston.

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Borders Books, Music and Movies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday morning. The chain provided a list of stores that will close, which includes the one at 1700 Maple Avenue in Evanston.

The chain may shutter as many as 200 stores, or roughly one-third of the chain's 674 locations. 

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Across the country, the once-dominant bookstore has run into major trouble from the "declining interest in bricks-and-mortar booksellers, a broad cultural trend for which it offered no answers," according to a Feb. 12 Wall Street Journal story

"The bookseller suffered a series of management gaffes, piled up unsustainable debts and failed to cultivate a meaningful presence on the Internet or in increasingly popular digital e-readers." 

A company spokeswoman would not comment, except to say "Borders will not comment or speculate on its future course. When the company has something to disclose, it will do so." 

Evanston has seen a handful of businesses close or announce upcoming closures in recent months. In December, city officials held a rally outside an AJ Wright store after parent company TJX Companies, Inc. announced they were closing the location.

Despite the rally and pleas from the community, the store is going through with their plans to close.

The Borders closure will leave a 21,979 square foot location wide open near the heart of downtown Evanston.


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