Downtown Borders Books Closing in January

Portland's downtown Borders superstore will officially close its doors Jan. 7, according to officials with the bookstore chain. The Portland bookstore, which opened downtown in 1994, currently employs about 30 people at its location at 708 SW 3rd Ave.

Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis says the 20,500-square-foot space wasn't meeting sales objectives set by the retail giant's Ann Arbor, Mich. headquarters. She also noted that there are five other Borders locations within a 25-mile radius.

Amid years of slumping national sales and the rise of electronic books, Borders Group Inc. reported a same-store loss of 6.8 percent last quarter in its 506 stores nationwide. And the downtown Portland location apparently isn't the only one shutting its doors nationwide this January.