Borders Group Announces Borders.com

Posted on May 11, 1998

Borders Group, Inc. announced Borders.com, a new e-commerce site that gives Borders customers access to nearly three million book, music and video titles from their desktops. The company is inviting customers to begin browsing and shopping at Borders.com by participating in a public preview of the site. Borders also announced that its new fulfillment center, dedicated to serving Borders.com customers, is open for business. The center houses over 10 million books, CDs and videos in stock, and available for immediate shipping.

"The Internet gives us the opportunity to bring the traditional Borders advantages -- a diverse selection, a dedication to customer service and an ability to foster community -- to customers around the world," noted Rick Vanzura, senior vice president of e-commerce and fulfillment, Borders Group, Inc. "We think our customers will benefit from the ability to purchase books, music and videos from one integrated site with a tremendous in-stock selection."

Borders.com's three core offerings are organized into six departments: Books (hardcover, paperback, bargain and audio); Music (CDs, cassettes and minidiscs); Video (VHS, laserdiscs and DVD); Children's (books, music and video); Computer Books; and the Borders NetCafe (chat, bulletin board discussions and interview transcripts).

Borders.com has entered into several strategic relationships that complement the company's online offering, including CNET and Snap!, a leading search and navigation service of CNET; Infoseek, a prominent Internet navigation service; Harvest Booksearch, a leading out-of-print book search service; Jazz Times, renowned for its uncompromising coverage of the international jazz scene; Rough Guides, the publisher of a diverse music reference series; Salon Magazine, an online literary magazine; and Talk City.