Indigo Jo on December 18th, 2009

The bookshop chain Borders UK is set to close next Tuesday, with all 45 remaining Borders and Books Etc stores closing (a few, and most of Books Etc, already have), and the place looks eerily like Woolworths did this time last year, with bright red and yellow “Store Closing” and “Last X Days” signs in […]

Continue reading about Borders turns off lifts for last week

Indigo Jo on December 17th, 2009

I’d forgotten that I’d been on Borders’ mailing list, which happened after I agreed to fill in some sort of survey after buying a book in the Kingston branch. I got various mailshots which gave me £5 off books costing more than £25 (useful when buying computer books) and, on one occasion, 50% off […]

Continue reading about My reward for being a good customer

Indigo Jo on December 6th, 2009

BBC News - Romanian workers reveal true cost of beauty

This is a story about Romanian workers who were tricked into coming to the UK to sell cosmetics on a “commission-only”, “self-employed” basis. This involved selling the products in a department store and being paid only for what they sold, not for the time they […]

Continue reading about Romanians bilked by self-employment scam

Indigo Jo on November 26th, 2009

BBC News - Borders bookshops in the UK go into administration

Yet another big British retailer is on the verge of going bust. Borders was another victim, like Zavvi, of the Woolworth’s bankruptcy; they got their CDs and DVDs from Woolworth’s entertainment arm. However, there’s no denying that Borders could not compete with Amazon, […]

Continue reading about Borders UK goes into administration

Indigo Jo on February 16th, 2009

Continue reading about Sacked Mini workers had an hour’s notice

Indigo Jo on January 28th, 2009

Continue reading about Why Britain is up the spout, by Nick Cohen and a Frenchman