Does Borders Know The Sony Reader Exists?
Borders readies to take over Web site
For instance, on the beta, or test version of the site that Borders launched late last year, it has developed a “magic shelf,” which is a virtual bookcase that displays recommended books, movies and music.
While shoppers cannot yet buy items on the beta site, Ertell said one function that was very popular with users this past holiday season was the ability to check to see if an item shown online was in stock at a local store.
If it was, customers could then reserve the item online and pick it up at their nearest store.
Ertell said Borders hopes customers will then spend more money in stores when they pick their reserved books.
Emphasis added by me.
No mention of ebooks or the Sony Reader in this story. Given the strategy summarized in the last line above, it sounds like they’d hate ebooks.
But they’re thinking about offering MP3 downloads!
Does this object look at all familiar, Borders? Hello, McFly?!!?
Mike Cane 2008 
February 18, 2008 at 7:02 am
Hi Mike,
Actually, we love the Sony Reader. In fact, we are selling them in almost all of our stores, and we have a co-branded ebook site with Sony at http://ebooks.bordersstores.com. We’ll be looking to incorporate ebooks into our new Borders.com later this year.
Thanks,
Kevin Ertell
VP, E-Business
Borders
February 18, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Needs more in-store promo, I feel. Also, Sony needs a pinch to get those Reader kiosks to allow people to pick them up. Having them locked into a vertical position lessens the lust factor. Thanks for reading! Now go forth and slay the Kindle.
March 24, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Well, late to this topic…but after a new revisit…
Or ANY in-store promo….
And “selling in all stores” is a long way from “marketing” them, wanted another 505 as a gift, the “kiosk” was isolated in the back section of the store, half undercover and ignored, with a non-working unit, and then finding a clerk that had a key was a 20 minute plus romp. And then some price/database mess up, with the front-desk clerk, asking where I got it, me holding up the line, while they fetched another clerk for a Kmart-like re-price check. Geesh. You’d half think that store hadn’t sold one, ever.
And forget about ever finding anyone that knows anything about them, or talks them up, not that such matters to me, as I know what I want. But gosh, Sony must not be pushing all that hard. Reminds me of all the early Tablet PC Field Marketing retail pushes, non-working units, with no one knowing anything, nor much caring. Great units tho, but it’s a product people have to see and use, before they will buy. Everyone I show my Reader too, is pretty lit up, not saying all will purchase, but 99% aren’t even aware such devices exist, but seeing (and using) is believing in this case. A kiosk ain’t gonna sell it.
It’s a higher level product, and the min. wage-level bookstore employees aren’t going to have the incentives nor the desire to even bother, add Borders’ finance trouble, low Reader sales, with Sony’s collective corporate disinterest, and you can guess where this is headed.