Anime News Network is citing a report in the Wall Street Journal that the Borders bookstore chain will be liquidating after receiving no other bids to buy out the company. According to the WSJ, liquidation of the remaining Borders stores could start on July 22, 2011. The company is also saying that it expects to be out of business by the end of September 2011. Currently, Borders has 399 stores and employs approximately 10,700 people.

I’ve been watching this unfold for a while, and I really had been hoping for a better outcome. Borders was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, manga supporter of the major bookstore chains. While Barnes & Noble does carry manga, their selection is usually nowhere as big as what Borders had. Yes, manga can be ordered online through retailers like Amazon, but it’s not the same as going into a bookstore and purchasing a copy there. It’s a shame that this news had to come down right before before Comic-Con International and Otakon, which are both taking place this weekend.

My biggest concern, though, is for all the employees who will be losing jobs. I wish them all the best, and I hope they can have luck finding new employment.

Source: ANN

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