Breakthrough Retail Concept Store Opens to the Public May 16; Grand Opening Weekend May 30 - June 1 ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 16
ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders made national headlines
in February when it launched its first-ever concept store in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The breakthrough retail concept represents a significant enhancement over
existing Borders stores inside and out and fulfills the company's mission to
be a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment. The store blends digital
and Internet options with a fresh new look, enriching in-store services, and a
number of exciting features to create a uniquely satisfying customer shopping
experience. Now, this new concept store will premier in Mira Loma. Borders
will officially open the 21,938-square-foot store, located at Eastvale Gateway
at the intersection of Limonite Avenue and Hamner Avenue off of Interstate 15
on Limonite Avenue, May 16. The Grand Opening weekend festivities take place
from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )
"The opening of our initial concept store in Ann Arbor generated
tremendous media attention including major stories in national newspapers and
on television. We've had scores of retail executives from other companies,
store designers, shopping center developers and publishers coming from around
the nation to see the new store, as it truly is a breakthrough retail concept.
It has been a huge success and customers love it," said Borders Group Chief
Executive Officer George Jones. "We've stayed true to what our customers have
always loved about Borders -- deep and intelligent selection, knowledgeable
staff, and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. Yet, we've brought a fresh new
look and an exciting interactive dimension to the store with a Digital Center
where customers can do everything from mix and make their own custom CDs,
download books and music, publish their own books, explore their family
history, and create photo books -- all without being computer experts because
we have trained people there to help every step of the way," he said.
"In addition, we've put a strong focus on popular categories -- including
Travel, Cooking, Wellness, Graphic Novels and Children's -- by incorporating
digital options and the online world, making these sections of the store
interactive destinations where customers can not only shop our vast selection
of books, but also take advantage of computer kiosks featuring recommendations
from our expert buyers, related video content including interviews with
experts and authors, and much more. In addition, in select destinations, there
are large in-section LCD screens broadcasting a depth of content featuring
some highly recognizable names in these subject areas, as well as Borders' own
exclusive programs," Jones continued.
"Overall, this new concept store is a key part of our long-term strategic
plan. We set out to differentiate Borders and give customers a reason to
choose us over other retailers and we've achieved that goal spectacularly with
this new concept store. And, once we've launched the new Borders.com, we'll be
able to truly deliver on our cross-channel retail strategy including the
option for customers to access the site in our stores to view wish lists and
conveniently order from millions of titles for delivery to their homes within
two days. I'm proud of what we've created and I'm thrilled with the way
customers have embraced it."
Exterior Highlights
Beginning with the exterior of the concept store, shoppers will see that
this new Borders makes a bold statement with an exterior boasting many windows
and a large, illuminated and underlined red Borders logo. The store also
features a cafe with a cozy outdoor seating area where customers can relax and
visit with friends, read their favorite book, or simply enjoy the outdoors.
Fresh New Interior
Once inside, customers will immediately recognize that a new and exciting
experience awaits them. Curved feature tables placed front and center greet
customers with the latest book titles. The warm, neutral color scheme, cozy
seating, and walnut- and ash-stained fixtures suggest comfort and an
invitation for shoppers to stay as long as they like. Throughout the store,
there are large, illuminated drums suspended from the ceiling that feature
dazzling graphics and guide customers to destinations within the store.
Overall, the layout remains conducive to exploration while also being
extremely intuitive for customers to navigate with ease.
Digital Center
Dramatically distinctive against the neutral backdrop of the store is a
new Digital Center marked by a three-dimensional, 12-foot fixture and sign
package. Within the Digital Center there are multiple computer kiosks and
stations dedicated to unique new services including music and book downloading
as well as mixing and making custom CDs through "Borders Digital Music," which
features millions of titles to choose from. Customers interested in tracing
their roots can access "Borders Genealogy Services" provided by Ancestry.com,
and because many Borders customers are authors looking to publish their own
work, the Digital Center also includes "Borders Personal Publishing" powered
by Lulu.com. Some customer-written books may eventually be sold in Borders
stores and select customer authors could even host in-store signings. Photos
are important to many Borders customers who can use "Borders Custom Photo
Books" for special projects featuring family and friends.
Throughout the Digital Center, there are seats at the various computer
stations where customers are encouraged to sit and take their time working on
their projects. Importantly, Borders knows that not all customers are computer
experts, so the company is staffing the Digital Center with trained, dedicated
personnel ready to guide customers of any technical level through the process
to achieve their project goals.
In addition to the Digital Center, Borders has retained its popular
computer information stations -- "Borders Search" -- to help customers locate
titles within the store and outside of the store and learn about in-store
events, among other services. As in existing Borders stores, these stations
are located throughout the concept store allowing customers to help
themselves.
Destinations: Travel, Cooking, Wellness, Graphic Novels and Children's
Certain categories within the new Borders concept store -- Travel,
Cooking, Wellness, Graphic Novels and Children's -- are so popular and rapidly
growing that Borders has designated them as special destinations within the
new concept store -- giving these categories their own "shop within a shop"
look and feel. For example, in the Travel Destination, customers can not only
choose from thousands of book titles, but will also find related items such as
maps, GPS navigation systems, the Reader Digital Book from Sony(R), and
portable DVD players that customers can use on their travels. Within the
section, there is an interactive computer kiosk where customers can research,
plan, and even book a trip in the store. On the kiosk, there is a "Borders
Featured Destination" highlighting various U.S. and international locations,
and customers can use the feature to learn everything about the locale they
plan to visit, including Frommer's favorite experiences and upcoming events.
For featured destinations, Borders also makes available on the kiosk an
article written by travel expert Pauline Frommer who offers additional advice
and tips for planning a trip to the destination.
In addition, the kiosk within the Travel Destination also features a
"Borders Trip Recommender," teamed with Whatsonwhen and Frommer's, to provide
customers with a list of suggested travel destinations based on preferences
and criteria set by the shopper using a brief questionnaire regarding the type
of trip desired and other parameters. The "Borders Trip Recommender" suggests
potential destinations, and by clicking on recommended locations, customers
will access related book, DVD and other resources selected by Borders' expert
buyers to enrich the travel experience. Using the "Search and Book" feature on
the kiosk from Sidestep.com, recently acquired by Kayak.com, customers can
even book an entire trip online from the in-store kiosk. Within the Travel
Destination, the new concept store also offers customers travel programming on
a large LCD screen that features a mix of travel tips, guided visual tours,
author interviews, and nature programming from locations around the world.
Similar deep selection and various interactive opportunities are available
in the Cooking and Wellness Destinations, where customers can watch topical
programming on the large in-section LCD screens and use the computer kiosks to
learn about recommended titles and receive advice from the experts. In the
Graphic Novels Destination, there is an amazing selection of titles as well as
related gift items and even software that customers can purchase to create
their own comic books.
In Children's -- a destination with thousands of book titles as well as
music CDs, DVDs, toys, games and puzzles -- kids and their families will be
impressed that Borders has divided the section into sub-categories including
infants/toddlers/preschoolers, beginning readers (age 4-8), and early readers
(age 7-9), which cater specifically to the very different interests and
developmental levels of those age groups. In addition, in the new concept
store, Borders has relocated the independent reader (age 10-12) section from
Children's and given it its own separate area to appeal to older children.
Visually, children and adults will be captivated by a massive mural that
spans three walls above the book shelves in the Children's section. Created
exclusively for Borders by Australian author and illustrator Colin Thompson,
the mural features incredibly intricate and colorful images of castles,
underground cities, and flying books, among other images.
"Overall, customers need to know that there is something you offer as a
retailer that they cannot find anywhere else," Jones said. "That's just what
we are doing with these unique destinations within our concept stores. We are
putting a stake in the ground when it comes to these categories by making the
assortment and the experience so interactive and compelling, that customers
will bypass competitors to come to us to shop within these key categories as
well as the rest of the store."
About Borders, Inc.
Borders is a subsidiary of Borders Group, Inc., (NYSE: BGP) a $3.8 billion
global retailer of books, music, movies, periodicals and gift and stationery
items with over 30,000 employees and more than 1,100 stores worldwide
primarily operating under the Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) brand names. For
more information, visit www.bordersgroupinc.com .
SOURCE Borders, Inc.
