Borders Announces Expanded Teacher Focus; Increases Everyday Classroom Discount to 25%; Educator Appreciation Week Discount to 30%

Borders Announces Expanded Teacher Focus; Increases Everyday Classroom Discount to 25%; Educator Appreciation Week Discount to 30%

Borders creates new in-store "Teaching Zones"; retailer to host "Get Set for School" Open House Aug. 27 in stores nationwide

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, educators can enjoy a better discount on their classroom purchases at Borders and Waldenbooks stores than ever before. Borders is now offering educators 25% off the list price of all books, music CDs, toys and games for classroom use, up from the previous discount of 20%. Educators can take advantage of this special savings opportunity, which also includes 10% off DVDs for classroom use, each time they present their Borders Classroom Discount Card, which is available for free at all Borders and Waldenbooks stores nationwide. Pre-K through grade 12 teachers, home school educators and school librarians are all eligible to receive the special card and as soon as they receive it, they can immediately begin enjoying great savings on their classroom purchases. (Educators with an existing Borders Classroom Discount Card can exchange it for a new card.) In addition to this robust discount, for the first time ever, educators who are Borders Rewards members can now earn "Borders Bucks" on all of their in-store classroom purchases as well as for items they purchase for personal use. The Borders Rewards program, which now has over 33 million members, is free and open to all customers age 16 and older. In addition to earning $5 of Borders Bucks for every $150 in qualifying purchases, Rewards members also receive valuable discounts and offers through weekly emails.

   (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )    Educator Appreciation Week - Coming Soon  

Educators will also be able to enjoy 30% off the list price of all books, music CDs, toys and games during Educator Appreciation Week, Sept. 29 through Oct. 7. Purchases can be for classroom use as well as for personal enjoyment. In addition to the great discount, Borders will be hosting informational and celebratory events throughout the week. Details about the activities will be provided at a later time.

The "Borders Teaching Zone"

Just in time for back-to-school shopping, Borders has established the easy-to-shop "Borders Teaching Zone" sections within its more than 500 superstores nationwide. Designed for teachers in grades pre-K through 12, home school educators as well as parents, the sections feature educational workbooks, curriculum development books, inspirational narratives as well as many non-book items such as stickers and classroom decor products. The section is adjacent to the Children's Department which has just been enhanced with hundreds of high quality educational toys and games that promote lifelong learning and reading, together providing a comprehensive offering of back-to-school books and products for educators and parents alike.

"Teachers and librarians devote their lives to educating and enriching the lives of their students - they're incredibly important in the fabric of our lives," said Anne Kubek, executive vice president of Merchandising and Marketing for Borders. "We understand that educators spend their own money on classroom-related purchases and we're thrilled to provide a robust package that includes an everyday discount of 25% off classroom-related items, a special 30% discount during Educator Appreciation Week, as well as a unique section within our stores that features great books and materials specifically for educators. We've topped all that off with the ability for educators to earn 'Borders Bucks' on all purchases as part of their Borders Rewards membership. We can't wait for educators to start enjoying all of these great offerings."

"Get Set for School" Open House - Aug. 27

To celebrate the launch of the new "Teaching Zones," and to give educators the opportunity to use their 25% discount, the company is hosting a "Get Set for School" open house event Aug. 27 beginning at 7 p.m. in most Borders stores nationwide. The event will give attendees the opportunity to learn about books, educational materials and other classroom products Borders provides- and meet store staff who are familiar with the products and who can make recommendations and guide buying choices. The event will begin with a discussion of hot titles for kids based on age and grade level that educators should be aware of going into the new school year. Next, attendees at the Borders superstore events will be given a tour of the new Teaching Zone, the enhanced Children's Department, as well as the Borders Ink Teen Shops recently created specifically for young adult readers. During the evening, educators will be treated to free samples of delicious pastries and beverages from the Seattle's Best Coffee Cafes located in most Borders superstores. There will be a drawing at the end of the evening for a Borders gift card and various games including a Brain Quest(TM) trivia game. Certain Waldenbooks store locations will also host open house events. To see if your favorite store is hosting an event, visit Borders.com and click on the Store Locator tab. Activities may vary by store.

About Borders Group

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE:BGP) is a leading retailer of books, music and movies with approximately 1,000 stores and over 25,000 employees. More information on the company is available at www.borders.com/media.

First Call Analyst: Wilhelm, Ed
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Source: Borders, Inc.

CONTACT: Mary Davis, Borders, +1-734-477-1374,
mdavis4@bordersgroupinc.com

Web Site: http://www.borders.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment