Borders’ new concept store is one of the latest examples of how retailers are adapting to serve consumers in today’s integrated-media marketplace.

By James Sturdivant

Kindling Enthusiasm for E-books

Just five hours after its Nov. 19, 2007, launch, the Kindle—Amazon’s entry into the world of digital book readers—was out of stock. It took more than five months to restock the $399 wireless device, which became available once again on Amazon.com in late April. The online retailer declined to disclose how many units have been manufactured or sold.

In addition to making sure the supply meets the demand for the Kindle, Amazon’s Director of Digital Text Laura Porco and her team also are making sure that there is sufficient content for those who buy a Kindle, by working with publishers to offer their content for the reader. Initially, 88,000 book titles were available; now, more than 110,000 titles are offered.

According to Porco, the feedback from the publishers of those titles has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I think that [publishers] were enthusiastic about the device as readers and as customers, which is what led them to then say, ‘Listen, I would buy this as somebody who loves to read. Therefore, I want to make sure my company’s titles are available on this device,’” she says.

Porco recently spoke with Book Business about reaction to the Kindle and Amazon’s plan to make every book ever published available for the digital reading device.

How does Amazon see the Kindle fitting in with publishers’ current distribution models?
Porco: … From the very beginning, [Amazon’s model] was about selection and availability. Customers could buy millions and millions of books on the Web site, whether they wanted … a hardcover or a paperback. We want to make every format of that content available to the customer …. Really, Kindle is just an extension of that. It’s about connecting customers with their favorite authors. It’s about taking the friction out of that buying process.

What is Amazon doing to get publishers to make their titles available for the Kindle?
Porco: … [We] had to have a broad selection of titles [at launch]. To make that possible, we knew we had to make it super easy for publishers … to make their titles available on the Kindle. We have really built multiple paths that publishers can [utilize] …. If publishers have a PDF of a book, we can make that work as an e-book. If it’s a book that we have a physical copy [of], we can make that into an e-book. …

How much do plans for the Kindle revolve around book sales?
Porco: I think that obviously books are the key. … It’s designed to be a reading device. It’s very comfortable to read for a long time with this device. The Kindle also offers people the opportunity to read their morning paper, their daily blogs and their magazines. … Because of this, they are actually reading more. They have it when they’re on the train. … [Customers] are reporting [that] they’re rolling through books faster. [The books are] not just sitting on their nightstand. … It’s about all we have at our fingertips. Now people have their Kindle, [and] they’re reading when they have five or 10 minutes. … Because it [serves] multiple purposes in terms of reading, it’s all the more valuable to customers.

What has the feedback been from customers?
Porco: Customers tell us that they love having their library with them wherever they are. The single biggest complaint is that they want more books. They say, “I don’t understand why I [can] find three of five books from my favorite author, but not all of them.” We’re working with publishers to make sure we have more books. … [Amazon CEO] Jeff [Bezos] has set this goal …. Jeff has clearly said that he wants any book ever published to be available on Kindle.

Peter Beisser is a regular contributor to Book Business. He previously was the managing editor of several North American Publishing Co. titles and has written extensively about the publishing industry.

The new configuration points to an important development in the book retail market. With “nontraditional” book retailers such as Costco and Wal-Mart finding success by focusing on best-sellers, and popular and seasonal categories with more mainstream appeal, traditional booksellers are designing layouts to take advantage of buyer impulses. Roman says Borders seeks to “stake out” popular categories with expanded selection, clear signage, and décor features that demarcate special in-store destinations.