Borders has finally decided to launch its own website (previously, its online business had been handled by Amazon.com). CEO George Jones says:

“By creatively combining the assets of our new online channel with the many advantages of our stores and vice versa, we’re giving customers an elevated experience that we believe they’ll find more satisfying than anything else in bookselling today,” said Borders CEO George Jones.

The attempts to mimic the experience of shopping in a “real” bookstore with “Magic Shelf.” New releases and other popular titles are placed cover out on a “shelf.” Shoppers can browse left tor right, up and down, or by category. Borders says:

“We wanted a real bookstore online,” said Kevin Ertell, senior vice president for e-business at Borders, in an interview with the Free Press last week. “What we did to capture that bookstore feel was putting the Magic Shelf on the sign-in page.”

Does it actually mimic the bookstore experience? Eh, maybe if you shop at a bookstore that carries 12 titles per shelf. What do you think?

Borders

Borders starts online chapter [Detroit Free Press]

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