| rev:text
| - I don't want to like a Borders book store. I mean, they're the devil, aren't they? It's 2010. Aren't we all supposed to be rallying around independent bookshops or surfing sales tax-free on Amazon with Kindle-fever?
But sometimes the lure of books (books! books!) suckers me in, if only to get ideas for what I should download to my e-book reader next.
I might feel guilty about this, but the Borders at Town Square knows it has to be more than a bookstore. Go on a Saturday afternoon, and good luck finding a chair. Somebody is the belle of Town Square, and it's not Yet Another Body Cream or Trendy Jeans joint. Borders has a busy, buzzy energy, like a Christmas fever, without being so crowded that you want to leave. (Although, on a few weekends, I've come close.)
The Seattle's Best Coffee is a convention of LCD screens, and don't be surprised if young people have commandeered entire tables for school projects. In the center of the store, tables wait for the next book signing. Handwritten cards draw attention to staff picks. Near the front door, a local animal shelter may have companions for adoption, reminding you that the only thing better than curling up with a good book is add a ball of fur into the mix.
I am a Kindle girl, a library squatter, a used book rehomer, a small business cheerleader, an online price dickerer - and so I can't give Borders more than three stars. Their discount card (fits right on the keychain) is great, but only when compared to list price. (As if anyone pays list price.) I do like the value books near the front of the store (I recommend "400 Soups"), but the stock seldom changes. The coffeeshop seems nice, but - meh - that's de rigeur. (Plus it's "Seattle's Best." Ick. Then again, I speak with the prejudice of a coffee-hater who prefers the other big coffee chains because of their non-coffee offerings.)
So, while I can't give Borders in Town Square more than three stars, this is actually high praise, considering. The reason I keep coming back isn't just because paper books are so pretty or that I need a place to walk off one forkful too many at Claim Jumper/Brio/CPK, but because the staff at this Borders is so friendly and service-oriented. Great eye contact, personable demeanor, and a sincerity that makes me believe (who cares if it's actually true) that they are excited about my purchase. This is the value-added service that offline competitors often brag about but seldom deliver.
Kudos, Borders. Keep tempting me!
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