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Borders doesn’t sell books, music and movies. It sells knowledge, information and entertainment.
Knowing the average Borders customer spends an hour in the brick-and-mortar store, sometimes with coffee in hand, to look at magazines, listen to music and hang out, Borders CEO George Jones’ vision is to create a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment – and offer this experience online and in store to create a true cross-channel (not just multi-channel) environment.
When George Jones took the helm as CEO of Borders in July 2006, one of his first initiatives was to break the bookseller’s five-year licensing agreement with Amazon.com and “go independent.” Since 2001, the Borders brand had been driving traffic to Amazon only to leave the customer with an Amazon browsing, buying and post-purchase experience. Product was shipped in Amazon boxes. Follow up emails enticed customers to buy again from Amazon. And, because of certain regulations like taxation, Borders couldn’t even offer Internet-wired kiosks in its stores.
Not only that, but competitor Barnes and Noble rode through the dot-com dog days, investing in the ecommerce channel and building a loyalty program 4 million strong. Something had to be done.
The vision came to fruition in May 2008 with the launch of the new Borders.com.
Here are a few of the features and exclusives that make the Borders shopping experience vastly different from Amazon:
Magic Shelf. An innovative browsing experience, the Magic Shelf aims to replicate the in-store browsing experience of outward facing book covers. With personalization, customers can see recommended titles based on their individual interests, and discover books most relevant to them.
BordersMedia. An area for online shoppers to hang out (with a cup of coffee, if they desire) and consume exclusive video content — interviews, how-tos and performances by well-known authors, artists and celebrities.
Check inventory in store. One thing you can’t do with Amazon is order online and pick up in store the same day. Borders offers free shipping to a local store, and the local store is credited with the sale, even when the order is placed online.
Buy used books, music and movies. Borders levels the playing field with Amazon and goes one step further – you can have your used items shipped to store.
Lulu.com and Shutterfly partnerships. Borders’ partnership with Lulu enables customers to self-publish their own book and even sell it online. The Shutterfly partnership helps you turn photos into a bound book. Customers who use these services often become life-long loyal customers.
Borders also launched its own loyalty program, and unlike Barnes and Noble, made enrollment free. It now boasts over 28 million members, and is enjoying weekly open rates for its ShortList email campaigns of over 20%.
One way to measure success – publishers now compete for BordersMedia opportunities. Even an include in the ShortList email alone can turn a title into a New York Times bestseller. Everyone wants to be on board with Borders.
Stories like this prove that even if you are a late entrant into ecommerce, if you can find a way to differentiate yourself and truly provide a rich customer experience, you can achieve success.
