As Books-A-Million backed off an attempt to buy 30 soon-to-close Borders bookstores, local chain Bull Moose said it plans to bid on leases at some of the locations.

Borders’ South Portland and Bangor locations were among the stores that Books-A-Million had talked about buying. Bull Moose wouldn’t say whether those two were among the locations it might bid on.

Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Alabama-based Books-A-Million Inc., the nation’s third-largest book retailer, couldn’t agree on terms for purchasing the Borders Group Inc. stores.

Borders, which has 399 stores, filed for bankruptcy in February and last week started holding going-out-of-business sales.

Bull Moose owner Brett Wickard said Tuesday he’s considering opening “a handful” of so-called super stores in former Borders in New England states, including Maine.

The new stores, he said, would have “everything you would find at any Bull Moose … plus a ton more.”

The Portland-based chain, which sells music, movies and video games, expanded its Scarborough and Bangor stores in 2010 to start selling books at discount prices, according to a news release.

“We’ve been really happy with how the books have done so far in those locations and want to go bigger,” Wickard said.

Bull Moose, which opened in 1989, has eight stores in Maine and two in New Hampshire.

Staff Writer Leslie Bridgers can be contacted at 791-6364 or at:

lbridgers@mainetoday.com

 

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