Borders launches e-commerce site today

Borders launches e-commerce site today

Category

E Commerce

Borders Group Inc. launches its own e-commerce site today after 18 months of development and testing.

Borders.com represents the Ann Arbor-based bookseller's foray into cross-channel retailing that would allow consumers to shop in the store or online. The new site will be on in-store kiosks for customers to use while they shop.

"By creatively combining the assets of our new online channel with the many advantages of our stores and vice versa, we're giving customers an elevated experience that we believe they'll find more satisfying than anything else in bookselling today," said Borders CEO George Jones.

Borders has been exploring strategic alternatives including a sale since March, but continues to execute its turnaround strategy announced last year, Jones has said. The new e-commerce site is a big part of the turnaround.

The dominant feature at Borders.com is something called the Magic Shelf. Borders says the shelf captures the essence of shopping in one of its stores.

Books are placed cover out and side by side on the shelf. Shoppers can move up or down and from side to side. Roll the cursor over a book and a box with details about it pops up.

The shelf can be customized by the user and can show 20 shelves of titles.

"We wanted a real bookstore online," said Kevin Ertell, senior vice president for e-business at Borders, in an interview with the Free Press last week. "What we did to capture that bookstore feel was putting the Magic Shelf on the sign-in page."

Borders announced last year it would break with Amazon.com, which had been handling Borders' e-commerce transactions since 2001.

Another key feature of the new site: For the first time, 26 million Borders Rewards members can redeem coupons and other incentives online.

The site will provide more than a shopping experience, Jones said.

"It is a source of information and entertainment that brings a real bookstore experience to life online," he said.

The site includes concerts, author and celebrity interviews, a book club in which authors drop in on neighborhood book club discussions of their work, cooking shows with recipes, and advice for living with life coach Mel Robbins.

Also millions of rare and used books will be available.

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