Nerd culture website, WolfGnards, has recently called for a boycott of Borders Group—including Borders Books, Borders Express, and Waldenbooks. The boycott was called for after Borders reduced that amount of stores carrying graphic novels.
Borders, the second largest book chain in the United States, has been fighting to keep stores open. However, they have not released a statement explaining their elimination of graphic novels. WolfGnards has taken offense of Borders tactics because the website feels that Borders is labeling comic books as unessential literature. Just as the creation of the comic books section in major book sellers like Borders was a sign of the growing respectability of graphic novels, the elimination may mean its decline. However, a representative of Borders stated, “Be advised the Graphic Novel inventory has not been removed from all Borders, Waldenbooks, Borders Express, or Borders Outlet inventory, but has been from some.” Although, there has been no further explanation of what the store means by “some.” WolfGnards announced that it would advcate a boycott of Borders Books until Borders returns the graphic novel sections to all stores.
In March 2008, Borders announced that they would try to sell their chain because of financial difficulties. Currently, the chain is in debt, having furthered their financial instability by borrowing $42.5 million USD in March from Pershing Square Capital Management, the company's major stockholder, to keep the company running through the remainder of the fiscal year. Whether this has to do with Borders elimination of graphic novels is unknown.
The boycott of Borders would include not purchasing any material (comic books, novels, perodicals, merchandise)
