Under the agreement, Borders will expand the sale of the Reader, a reading device for e-books, to over 500 of its stores nationwide beginning in October. In addition, as an outgrowth of its commitment to selling the Reader nationwide, Borders will launch a co-branded online store with support from Sony that will offer digital downloads of e-books.
The agreement will also enable Borders and Sony to help provide greater selection and value to customers. Through collaboration with publishers, the companies plan to broaden the number of e-books offered, and by working toward the development of enhanced content that will provide added incentive to purchase books in traditional and digital formats.
Borders Group CEO George Jones said: We firmly support the e-book as a format we believe will be of growing importance to our customers in the future, and this agreement is a big part of our plans to make Borders a true cross-channel retailer, fulfilling our mission as a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment.
Stan Glasgow, president and COO of Sony Electronics, said: We look forward to working with Borders and the publishing community to broaden the audience by delivering a greater selection of digital content to people who love to read.
