Borders began as a 5,000 square foot secondhand bookshop in 1971 and has grown into a billion dollar chain of superstores that has altered the $17.5 billion book business .Borders and its chief rival, Barnes & Noble, offer massive selections in large retail spaces and attempt to become a destination for book shoppers.
To achieve this goal, the management of Borders Group Inc., the holding company for Borders Book Stores and related companies face multiple management challenges. The book selling industry is highly competitive and, as detailed below, has many potential pitfalls to profitability (AAmerican book...@ 1998, 12). This paper will discuss Borders in two sections. Section I, Borders, will include the following sections: a) Product; b) Environment; c) Market Potential; d) Distribution; e) Promotion; and, f) Pricing. Section II, The Competition, will feature a detailed competitive analysis.
The Borders Group Inc. is headquartered in Michigan and is America=s second-largest book retailer. In total, the company owns and runs some 1,150 domestic stores(260 Borders superstores and some 890 Waldenbooks).
Also in the corporate fold are 25 Books etc. stores in the UK and has Borders stores in the UK, Australia, and Singapore (10k).
Most of the Borders superstores sell music and videos in addition to books. The company also sells books on its website, www.borders.com, which also offers audio books, music, videos, and also features live chats.
According to a company profile on Hoovers, A...Borders strives to reflect local tastes and interests in its superstores, even employing community relations representatives. The stores also host literary and community events, including author signings and lectures@ (Border=s Corporate Profile, Hoovers Online, 1999).
Borders= use of community relations personnel is in response to a wide variety of criticism leveled at the company. For instance, a group of independent retailers...