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Borders Concept Store Mixes Technology, Entertainment

The first of Borders Group future stores opens in Pittsfield Township, Michigan, today with a fresh, user-friendly approach to blending technology and entertainment. The first of 14 concept stores that will open in key markets around the country this year, it is critical to the bookseller's turnaround.

Borders has formed partnerships with Internet companies such as Ancestor.com to help with genealogy searches and Shutterfly.com to support photo sharing. The store also features a digital center where people can make custom CDs from a library with 2.4 million songs. If customers want to publish their own book, there's a kiosk in the store's new digital center that walks them through the process. They also can buy digital cameras and learn how to turn their digital photos into books.

Borders will capitalize on unique content, such as author interviews or concerts to be shown on Borders TV in the store and on its Web site. It is also is stocking merchandising in new ways. For example, magazines on cooking will be found with the cookbooks in a new cooking section at the center of the store.

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