My idea was to use this blog as my creative digital journal - but given I take the moleskin everywhere I haven’t really had the wordpressing need. But we’re currently helping Random House publishing take a quick temperature check into the gifting book market - discovering some fresh learnings around who gives what to whom and why when it comes to gifting and receiving books as chrissy gifts. And pictures can say so much more than words eh - so thought I’d get posting my pictures again.

We all know there is a recession on and this downturn is having a big impact on high street shopping and who knows when it’s going to upturn. . What we also know from our work with Sony Music over the past 2+ years is that more and more of the shopping of entertainment ideas is going online, which is having a major impact in the way things like books, CD’s, DVD’s etc are discovered, purchased, enjoyed and shared.

So last weekend we were in Kingston doing some people ‘meet + greets’ and I walked past the local Borders - or what was left of it. The whole place was on sale, and not just the things on the shelves - you could actually purchase the shelves themselves if so motivated!! I took a few pics of this seemingly sad demise of another high street store and then asked the people we were recruiting their thoughts about the closure of Borders - you know the mad thing about this, leaving aside their perceived differences of Borders vs Waterstones vs W H Smiths etc, they said that all the 40-50% off sales signs actually put them off going in, that it made it all seem a bit street bazaar - so they continued on past and headed to Waterstones. I guess that’s why it’s called ‘down’ and ‘out’!!!

And so finishes this US book retailing import experience (interestingly this store had a Starbucks in it as well…more about that lot soon me thinks)