Borders and Blockbuster have been shutting down stores across the country, and last month both went dark in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
It doesn’t feel like too long ago when I first wandered into my first video store. What a marvel. The concept of watching a movie at home when I wanted to was unbelievable. Taping a show fundamentally changed my relationship with television. But in less than 30 years, the video store went the way of the dinosaur.
Video’s 30-year run seems short lived, but it’s an epoch compared to MySpace. In eight years they came, and they went. Yes, MySpace still has a pulse, but does anyone care? Kids today have no sense of what made MySpace so revolutionary.
Facebook may be on top at the moment, but they should be careful. This week they reported slower membership growth and in the UK the numbers actually dropped. Tomorrow’s champion is probably being dreamed up by a snotty-nosed kid still living at home.
Although I was sad to see Blockbuster go, it was a nostalgic longing; VOD and Netflix are clearly better alternatives. I’m not going to miss MySpace either, but the loss of Borders is a different story. I liked hanging out at a book store. Yes, Amazon is great. It’s convenient too, but I can’t chat with friends over coffee, or slip into a comfy chair with a bunch of magazines.
The book superstore concept was a successful business model for over two decades. But it was more than just a business; Barnes & Noble and Borders served a community need. It was a town watering hole, a place for folks to gather. Think about it: in the suburbs, besides a bar, where do people congregate?
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Even though digital downloading is making the 20,000 square-foot bookstore obsolete, people still go to bookstores. Borders here in Fairfield was often crowded, though unfortunately their customers weren’t buying books. Perhaps B&N can stay afloat with the Nook.
I just started an assignment with the Fairfield Theatre Company in the heart of Fairfield. It’s only a block away from Borders. FTC’s mission is to help revitalize the downtown through cultural performing arts. With places like Borders going dark, non-profits like FTC will become more important in maintaining the vitality of the community. People need to get out of their homes, disconnect from their devices; they need to interact more face-to-face.
I’m enjoying working in downtown. With a population of 80,000, Fairfield has a great blend of local and national retailers and restaurateurs; most operate in funky wood and brick buildings harking back to an era when Main Street had relevance.
Borders’ time in Fairfield was short-lived, but it made an important contribution in turning around what was a declining downtown. And so it was sad to see the “Everything Must Go” signs in the window during its final days.
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I wandered in that last week to see what bargains were still to be had. The shelves were picked over pretty good, but I found several gems, most noteworthy Long, Last, Happy by Barry Hannah. This collection of old and new short stories was released posthumously late last year.
In 2008 Barry had moved mountains to get me a full teaching scholarship at Ole Miss to study with him. In what was probably the poorest decision I’ve ever made, I passed on the chance because of another opportunity with the iconic NYC club, CBGB. At the time, I thought I was simply postponing my Oxford, Mississippi trip; but alas, Barry died in March of 2010.
Each sentence of his book is a reminder of what could have been, but it also provides some comfort, knowing that a man of Barry’s stature took interest in my words.
You never know what’s around the corner. Whether you’re a writer, a business, a cultural arts organization, or a downtown bookstore, the only thing you can guarantee is change. Clearly Borders and Blockbuster failed to adapt. For the rest of us, there’s still time.
—Photo doortoriver/Flickr