Briefs

Bankrupt book retailer Borders Group is headed for liquidation after talks with buyout firm Najafi collapsed. The firm had planned to keep the second-largest bookstore chain in the U.S. in business. Negotiations fell apart because Najafi would not agree to demands from Borders’s creditors and landlords that it commit to maintaining a brick-and-mortar presence for the chain, which once operated more than 1,000 stores. Unless creditors win a reprieve in bankruptcy court, liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners will wind down the remaining 399 Borders outlets by September.

American Airlines has committed to buying 460 jets in the industry’s biggest-ever order. The No. 3 U.S. carrier is purchasing 260 Airbus planes and 200 Boeing 737s, with options for 465 more. American now flies an all-Boeing fleet and hasn’t bought any jets from Airbus since 1987. The Texas-based air carrier has been saddled with aging planes: Its jets averaged 15 years of service last year. The new order will help American reach its goal of having the most fuel-efficent fleet in the nation within five years.