Borders at 476 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury will close its doors permanently sometime in May as part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization process. Shrewsbury – Borders at 476 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury will close its doors permanently sometime in May as part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization process. Most of the merchandise inside the store, which primarily sells books, music and movies, has been discounted in an effort to clear out inventory and prepare for the closure. The café inside the store is already shut down and no longer operational.
Borders officials announced plans to file bankruptcy in Februviewpoint ary and to close several locations in Massachusetts, including stores in Burlington, Holyoke and Wareham. The location in Shrewsbury, which employs 32 people, was added to the list of closings in March after the company was unable to renegotiate desirable lease terms with the building's owner, according to a Borders spokesperson. The company will close 228 stores in total as part of the restructuring.
Inside the Borders Shrewsbury location, the space over the café is in darkness and much of the furniture from around the building has been gathered together in a corner. Merchandise is being sold as “final sale” items.
Heather Bala, a Holden resident who said she worked nearby, voiced disappointment over the closure, saying it was a regular spot for last-minute shopping or to grab a bite to eat with coworkers during lunch.
“This is where we go on our break,” she said. “I's not sure where we will go now.”
In addition to its merchandise sales and café business, Borders also hosted several community events, such as children's story hours, meet-the-author opportunities and an open mic night. Those who regularly attended the open mic night have already transitioned the event over to Tatnuck Bookseller, Gift Gallery and Café in Westborough. Tatnuck
General Manager Charles Napoleon said the store would do its best to accommodate Borders customers seeking a new place to shop or hang out.
“We'se going to do our best to pick up the business from the closure,” said Napoleon, who noted a café and free Wi-Fi, which were big draws for Borders regulars, are also available at Tatnuck. “We hope to service as many as of those customers as possible.”
