[East Beltline Developments]

During a period of underemployment in my chosen profession, I worked at the main Schuler store as a book seller. It was a great job, though the pay was low, but as far as retail work goes it was great. Wonderful customers, good coworkers, incredible management/owners. Everything I know about the Borders/Schuler distinction comes straight from Schuler training--though I probably have broken some agreement of some sort by revealing as much as I have (LOL). At any rate, it's a constant frustration to the Schuler-ians that they are often considered to be the same as Borders.

There was one day in the Christmas season; I don't know if I was distracted, or what, but I actually answered the phone "Borders Books and Music"... I almost died of embarassment...

Thanks for clearing up the misconception. I was also under the impression that Schuler's was another brand for Borders. If what you say is true, it is good to see an independent do so well in the chain dominated bookstore business.

[East Beltline Developments]

There's no real agreement between the companies that's keeping Borders out. The fact is that the Borders company makes a fairly good deal of money from their relationship with Schuler. Opening their own store in GR wouldn't necessarily benefit them. They'd stand to profit from the store, but would damage their relationship with a company that has 4 stores in GR and Lansing. They'd also be seen as the "invading company" coming in and hurting a local business...

So it's probably more the economics of the situation that keeps Borders out of GR.

BUt isnt it true that its Schuler's Bookstores who is keeping BOrders out of GR?

othereisw why would an Ann Arbor based business create a giant worldwide company and NOT have a store in GR?

[East Beltline Developments]

* Alarms going off *

For the record, Schuler is not Borders. There is a relationship between the stores, but it is not the common "Borders with a different name" one. Borders has a sister company that provides inventory management and ordering capabilities for other stores. Schuler works with this arm of Borders for purchasing its books and for its in store inventory and POS software systems. This arm of Borders, however, is entirely separate from the actual retail stores, and Schuler remains a born-in-GR company with fully independent ownership and management, with no connection to Borders.

Sorry... former Schuler-ite who felt the need to correct a common misconception...

I can tell you one things for sure, Borders will never come to Grand Rapids.

They have an agreement with Schuler's bookstores that they will not put a store in Grand Rapids, with that agreement though, Borders was given the right to be the Book distributor for Schuler's.

In essence, Schuler's Bookstore IS Borders with a different wrapper.