Brick and mortar store die-hards who prefer to being able to flip through a book prior to purchasing it won't be happy to hear this. Borders, who
released less than satisfactory earning results for Q4 2006 today, have announced that they will disengage from most of their 73 superstores overseas and nearly half of the nationwide Waldenbooks outlets, and instead focus resources on revitalizing domestic superstores and launching their own online Web store in early 2008. Until now, Amazon handled Borders' online business with Borders only receiving a commission on the revenue generated.
In addition, Borders said they would add new "Digital Centers" in their stores which will allow customers to buy not only old-fashioned paperbooks but also products in digital formats, such as e-books, audiobooks and MP3 audio.
Quoting WSJ:
Quote:
George Jones, Borders' recently named CEO, now declares online to be "a necessary component of our business." He says that launching the business "won't be a slam dunk" but that it will complement the company's bricks-and-mortar stores and will enable Borders to partner with a variety of companies.
...
To make its U.S. stores more attractive, Borders is working on a prototype of a new superstore design that will include a digital center. The centers will enable customers to purchase a variety of digital products, including music and audiobooks, and provide such services as personal publishing. The first of the new concept stores will open next year.
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Related:
Bookstores: Digital or paper? Or both?
[via
TeleRead]