Tell you why.
Lack of interweave of the digital information age technology into their sales + marketing processes.
A search on Internet using Google search engine will show search results Gooooooooooooogle numbered 1 to 13.
You click on each hoping to get a useful search result.
Type in "borders Singapore Asian godfathers" in Google.
There is NO LEAD to Borders book store in Singapore for this book.
You give up after clicking from 1 to 4 pages of search result.
So where did I buy the book?
A simple search led to Kinokuniya. (By the way, Goggle almost always shows Amazon first in the list of search results for books - maybe Amazon paid Google lots of $$$$ for this because it leads to sales.) But too bad for Amazon, I don't like to get my books through the postal service from the USA. I like to get them from the local book store.
Kinokuniya has a BookWeb on line facility that helps you to search for books in its stock.
Once it is available, Kinokuniya will tell you:
The book cover and what it looks like.
The price.
You can buy it on-line if you wish.
But if you wish to go to the local book store to get it, then it tells you:
WHICH KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE BRANCH HAS THE BOOK YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
IT EVEN SHOWS YOU A MAP OF WHERE IN THE STORE THE BOOK IS LOCATED.
THE BOOK SHELF NUMBER.
Compare this to what Borders bookstore has in the digital sales counter frontline.
Want to search online to check if Borders has the book - no chance. IMPOSSIBLE.
You have to phone Borders to tell them to find for you.
Want to buy on-line in Borders Singapore? No chance. IMPOSSIBLE.
Want to search for yourself? No chance. IMPOSSIBLE.
Quote from Borders website
"
Do you have the book/CD/DVD I am after?
We are unable to answer specific product queries via email. Please contact your local store and a staff member will be happy to help you with another product query.
Can I buy Borders products online?
Unfortunately, you are not able to buy Borders products online. For product information or to place a special order please contact our stores directly and one of our team members will be happy to assist."
UnQuote.
.............................................................
A sideline story to this book search saga.
Tried to buy the book in Bangkok. Went to lots of bookstores. Maybe 10. Wrote the name of the book and the author, Joe Studwell for them to help to check if available.
Result:
Book store staff has a frightened or uncomfortable look followed by "No more stock"; or "We don't have this book" or "Please try other branch".
One can only guess that some one
very powerful in Thailand has been mentioned in the book. And so coincidental, it seems ALL Bangkok bookstores have "sold out" the book or have no stock.