As another week comes to a close, the situation at Borders remains status quo--at least for the moment. Ingram continues to be the chain's lifeline to the publishers, continuing to ship books while few publishers are. There was no movement among publisher in accepting Borders proposal to exchange missed payments for notes, and publishers, like the rest of the industry, are waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Asked if progress was made in talks with vendors and landlords, a Borders spokesperson issued a familiar statement: "Our goal is to have a strong Borders for the long term. As such, Borders is involved in discussions with multiple parties – including lenders, vendors, landlords and other business partners – to determine the route that will provide the company with the best opportunity to move forward with its business strategy."
Asked about growing speculation among publishers that a bankruptcy filing could come this weekend, the spokesperson said, "Borders will not comment on theoretical, suggested or rumored outcomes to this process."
