Toys R Us had a pretty rough go at it when they broke free from Amazon and tried to reap the financial rewards of running your own e-commerce platform. I don't have any numbers, but while there site looks nice, they're sales took a nose-dive. (I think) Of course, TRU has many more problems them someone like Borders.
Borders is obviously a stronger player in the field, so I think if anyone can pull it off, they can. I really think if they can integrate their physical presence, with their virtual presence, they can maintain themselves successfully, and retain a portion of the market. The biggest thing to me, is in-store pickup. With books, this is key. I think the practice in general is picking up steam, and to offer it in the book world, is huge. They have enough stores to make it an attractive option. Nobody would rather wait and pay for the shipping instead of stopping off and picking it up on the way home, as long as the prices are comparable.
Bottom line, this is something that Borders must do in order to grow. Partnering with Amazon was a fantastic way to gain online presence, but eventually, they need to go it alone in order to be successful. The sooner the better, as the market keeps growing.
I wish them good luck.
Also, someone mentioned they need to tie in online promos with physical locations. I believe they already do that. If you are a Rewards member with Borders, you get weekly email promos that can be printed and used in-store. So they are on the right track at least.
Borders is obviously a stronger player in the field, so I think if anyone can pull it off, they can. I really think if they can integrate their physical presence, with their virtual presence, they can maintain themselves successfully, and retain a portion of the market. The biggest thing to me, is in-store pickup. With books, this is key. I think the practice in general is picking up steam, and to offer it in the book world, is huge. They have enough stores to make it an attractive option. Nobody would rather wait and pay for the shipping instead of stopping off and picking it up on the way home, as long as the prices are comparable.
Bottom line, this is something that Borders must do in order to grow. Partnering with Amazon was a fantastic way to gain online presence, but eventually, they need to go it alone in order to be successful. The sooner the better, as the market keeps growing.
I wish them good luck.
Also, someone mentioned they need to tie in online promos with physical locations. I believe they already do that. If you are a Rewards member with Borders, you get weekly email promos that can be printed and used in-store. So they are on the right track at least.