Borders Group

Operates nationwide chain of bookstores.

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Headquarters: 100 Phoenix Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Employees: 32,000
CEO: George Jones
Stock Quote: BGP

Website: http://www.bordersgroupinc.com

Career Site

Borders Group is one of the largest booksellers in the country. It operates over 1200 stores under the Borders and Waldenbooks names.

There are 522 Borders superstores in the U.S. and 73 locations outside of the U.S. The stores sell a combination of books, CDs, movies and magazines. There are also cafes selling coffee and snacks located in each store. There are 564 Waldenbooks locations and 124 have closed in the last year.

Borders no longer operates its own website for selling books and instead has partnered with Amazon.com for its sites www.borders.com and www.waldenbooks.com.

In 2006, Borders Group had total sales of $4.06 billion and net loss of $151.3 million. Sales at domestic Borders superstores were $2.75 billion.

The company said it sold approximately 1.2 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on its first day of sales, Saturday, July 21. This is the highest selling book in a single day in Borders history.

History

The history of Borders Group is a tale of two brands: Borders and Waldenbooks:

- In 1933, Larry Hoyt founded a single book-rental library in Bridgeport, Connecticut, that later became the successful chain of mall shops he called Walden Book Stores, after Henry David Thoreau's well-known work.

- Tom and Louis Borders, two brothers living in the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, opened a small used bookshop called Borders Books in 1971 and later expanded the operation to include several more stores in and outside of Michigan. Their success was due, in part, to their revolutionary inventory system that tailored each store's selection to the community it served.

- By 1994, both brands were acquired by Kmart, which formed the Borders Group.

- In 1995, remaining stock was purchased back from Kmart and the new company went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BGP. Waldenbooks relocated its headquarters to join Borders in Ann Arbor, and both brands now live under the same roof, serving some 30 million customers annually in over 1,200 stores.

Benefits

Your Health
Our employees clearly expect protection when it comes to leading healthy and productive lives. For that reason, our benefits and policies exceed marketplace standards. The following is a highlight of our programs:
- Medical Plan
- Dental Plan
- Vision Plan
- Medical/Dental/Vision benefits for part-time employees
- Short- and Long-Term Disability Plans
- Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Fitness Center Discounts
Your Family
At Borders Group, we understand the importance you place on leading a well-balanced life and meeting all of your family needs and obligations. We encourage a balanced and family-focused life through the following progressive policies and benefit offerings:
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Domestic Partner Benefits
- Adoption Assistance
- Family Medical Leave
- Flexible Work Schedules
- Emergency Assistance and Bereavement Program through the Borders Group Foundation
Your Future
Finding a company that provides ample support for your future financial goals is a critical factor when deciding which company to work for. At Borders Group, it's not just about the paychecks, it's also about the realization that you need to plan for your future.
- Employee Savings Plan with Company Match
- Employee and Dependent Life Insurance
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Scholarship Assistance Through the Borders Group Foundation
Your Time
A balanced life requires a company that values the time you spend away from work. That's why we make sincere efforts, like the following, to give our employees the time they need to lead a well-balanced life. Whether through our paid time-off plans, or our flexibility in scheduling, we strive to meet the needs of our employees. A highlight of our programs includes the following:
- Company Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick/Personal Days
- Flexible Work Schedules
- Paid Holidays
- Bereavement Pay
- Jury Duty Pay
Your Finances
- Borders, Waldenbooks and Borders Express Merchandise Discount
- 1-800-FLOWERS Discount
- Citibank at Work Discount
- Group-Rate Tickets to Events
- Cingular Wireless Discounts
- T-Mobile Hotspot Discounts
- Daimler Chrysler Vehicle Discounts
- Auto Insurance Discounts
- Homeowners Insurance Discounts
Your Life
- Promotion from Within Philosophy
- Excellent Working Environment
- Casual Dress Code
- A Focus on Diversity in Our Employee Base
- Career Advancement Opportunities
- Access to Book Signings, Concerts, etc.

Updated August 19, 2007