While their dreaded rivals at Barnes & Noble have their eye on the future and are dedicating resources toward developing a Kindle-killer, the management team that runs Borders is instead focusing its efforts on maximizing sales in the here and now. After adopting a bold new marketing strategy aimed at, you know, actually selling books back in May, the troubled retailer may be having a change of heart, reports The Wall Street Journal. Now they are focusing their merchandising efforts on creating teen-friendly sections in the majority of their stores by the end of August, areas the chain’s VP of merchandising describes as being “about more than just the book.” Hmmm, apparently we were under the mistaken impression that those sections already existed in their stores and were called “YA,” but then again, those sections currently don’t house impulse items like “Twilight bookmarks and pencil cases.”
If you are concerned that this new section — dubbed Borders Ink* — will essentially turn into a literary version of Hot Topic, it’s important to note that the section will also become the new home for each store’s selection of graphic novels and fantasy titles. Yes, parents, this means boy geeks will be awkwardly mingling with girl goths amid rows of books. We can hardly wait to see how this turns out!
*Get it? Like Borders Inc., but not? Who knew teens enjoyed puns that played off a company’s status as a corporation!
