Borders Group

Borders was the bookstore for people who liked bookstores. The original Ann Arbor location was legendary for its inventory system, built by co-founder Louis Borders, that could track and restock individual titles across a massive catalog. The chain expanded to over 500 superstores with an emphasis on depth of selection, in-store events, and the cafe experience.

The fatal mistake was strategic. In 2001, Borders outsourced its online sales to Amazon.com, essentially training its customers to buy books from its biggest competitor. While Barnes & Noble invested in its own e-commerce platform and later the Nook e-reader, Borders doubled down on physical retail and CDs at exactly the moment both were dying.

By the time Borders launched its own e-reader partnership in 2010 (with Kobo), it was three years too late. The company filed for bankruptcy in February 2011 and liquidated all 399 remaining stores by September. The Ann Arbor flagship closed last.