Here's the plain and simple business answer: Borders.com is a sister company to Borders, Inc.—better known to many of you as Borders Bookshop or Borders Books and Music —and a subsidiary of Borders Group, Inc.

That's important to know, but it's not the whole story. We think there's a lot more to say about who we are.

Borders.com is more than just a premier collection of books, music and video. We're a terrific resource. When you visit Borders.com you can search for a specific title or collection of titles by an artist or author. Don't know the title or author? Find it by keyword or ISBN. You can also browse hot new titles, essentials (must-haves for both beginners and serious collectors), award winners, and bestsellers in every subject. The more you browse, the more you'll discover avenues of exploration. Get started now by visiting our home page!

Can't remember the name of that book, CD, or video you saw last week? Even if the only thing you can recall is that it was a book about kids, and the cover had a dog on it, the experts at our Info Desk can help. No matter how tricky or obscure the question, the Info Desk staff will try to uncover the answer you need.

Think of Borders.com as a community-a place where you can share your thoughts on your favorite (or maybe not so favorite) titles, where you can get to know authors and artists through interviews and features. In our Netcafe you'll find a schedule of coming events. You can also chat at About.com or review the titles that interest you. To join the Borders.com community just register-it is free, easy, and requires no obligations other than following our "Rules of the Road." Borders does not currently sell your personal information to anyone (but we will use it to point out titles that we think will appeal to you).

Since we're an online store, you can purchase any of the books, music and video you find at Borders.com—many at significant discounts. If we don't have a title in stock we'll do everything we can to get it for you—even if it's out of print. We'll ship your purchase directly to your home or, if it's a gift, to the address of your choice.

If you can't find the answers to your questions on our Policies page or in our Frequently Asked Questions, feel free to Contact Us—we want to hear how we're doing!

Return to About Borders.com Contents

Borders began in 1971 when Tom and Louis Borders opened a book shop in the heart of Ann Arbor, an academic community in southeast Michigan, USA. As it grew, the first Borders store became known as one of the finest book shops in the world—a place where customers could rely on a friendly, well-informed staff to find exactly what they were looking for, or browse uninterrupted for hours through shelves stocked with everything from African poetry to Zoroastrian theology.

The Ann Arbor store was so successful that the Borders brothers decided to open more stores. They saw that there was a need for "serious" book stores in communities across the country. After opening a few stores in suburban markets, they found that serious readers were everywhere. Borders became an instant hit.

In the early 1990s, Borders began selling music in addition to books. As the inventory and the company expanded, competitors and investors took notice, and the Borders brothers decided to go national. Today Borders is one of the nation's leading book and music retailers.

For more information on the Borders stores, please visit their web site at www.BordersStores.com. Here you will find information on events, job opportunities, staff selections and more. Ten Borders stores currently have individual home pages on the Borders store site, with more to follow until every store is represented!

Return to About Borders.com Contents

In 1992, the Borders brothers sold the company to Kmart Corporation. This affiliation lasted only three years and in April of 1995, Borders joined forces with Waldenbooks, bought its stock back from Kmart and raised new capital through an Initial Public Offering.

Now a publicly owned, independent corporation Borders Group, Inc. is currently the world's second largest retailer of books, music, video and other informational, educational, and entertainment products. The Borders Group includes Borders Online, Inc. (Borders.com); Borders, Inc., a collection of over 200 superstores offering what is widely regarded as the broadest books and media assortment in the industry; Waldenbooks, the nation's leading mall retailer; Borders Singapore, PTY, Ltd. and BGI (UK), Ltd. a collection of London based bookstores. Together, these companies operate in over 1,000 locations in the United States, Singapore, and the UK. Borders Group stock trades on the New York Stock exchange under the symbol "BGP". For more information, you may wish to visit the Borders Group, Inc. Investor Relations site at www.BordersGroupInc.com.

Return to About Borders.com Contents