The co-branded site, expected to debut in August, will feature the vast selection of books, music, video and DVDs available at Amazon.com. Amazon.com’s Web site, including its No. 1 book, music, video and DVD stores, will continue to operate independently.
Amazon.com will be the seller of record, providing inventory, fulfillment, site content and customer service for the co-branded site. The new site will continue to offer content unique to Borders.com, including store location information and in-store event calendars.
Amazon.com has worked hard to provide its customers with the best possible shopping experience, and we are incredibly pleased to power and manage the new Borders.com, said Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com. Borders is best-of-breed in the physical world and a company that shares our passion for serving book, music and movie lovers everywhere.
This alliance allows Borders to offer our customers the convenience of an online shopping option with the added benefits that will emerge through our new association with Amazon.com, the world’s recognized e-commerce leader, said Borders Group President and CEO Greg Josefowicz. While our customers’ needs are met online by the people who do it better than anyone else, we will provide them with what we do best, the books, music and movies they love to explore in an engaging shopping atmosphere.
Under the agreement, customers of the co-branded site will benefit from access to Amazon.com’s editorial reviews, personalization features and recommendations, 1-Clicka ordering, and other key site features. Both companies will continue to work together to bring about additional customer benefits in the future, which may include the ability for customers to reserve a title online for later purchase and pick up at their neighborhood Borders store, as well as extending the alliance internationally. In addition, customers of the co-branded site, as well as customers of Amazon.com, may receive notification of upcoming author events and musical performances scheduled to take place in Borders stores.
This arrangement, in combination with the Toysrus.com agreement, which launched in September 2000, demonstrates the flexibility of Amazon.com’s e-commerce platform to meet the needs of other leading companies.
Borders.com will continue operation in its current format until the launch of the co-branded site in August. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This agreement will not impact the previously issued financial guidance of either company.
