Borders’ web-enabled in-store kiosks, now rebranded as Borders Search from their original name of Title Sleuth, could one day be getting a new job as well. Borders Group Inc. has implemented a CD mix-and-burn station at one store in Woodbury, MN, and is preparing to extend the experiment to three stores in Charlotte, NC, says Kevin Ertell, Borders’ director of interactive marketing, loyalty and CRM.
Shoppers can choose from a selection of downloadable music files and pay per track to burn their own CD in the store. The system is web-enabled, but runs only on Borders’ internal network, Ertell says.
It’s another effort by Borders to drive increased utility out of its installed base of store kiosks, which Ertell says the company is moving to put at the center of any web- or computer-focused communication with customers in its stores. “The mix-and-burn piece would be part of that, as well as being able to look up or locate books in the store,” Ertell says. “We know from our research that there are a lot of customers who want to do these things themselves, so we have that capability for them. And we also have our booksellers available there to help them with anything they may need.”
Ertell and Borders executive Michael Tam will speak at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, June 5-7 in Chicago in session entitled The many ways the Internet can drive brand preference and loyalty.
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