In what looks to be a pretty desperate attempt to revive its failing business, Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) has officially cut its ties with Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) and launched its own e-commerce website. Under the previous arrangement, shoppers at Borders.com had their orders fulfilled by Amazon, with Borders taking a small commission.Check out the site here. It offers some great incentives to switch over from Amazon -- like free shipping on orders over $25! Oh wait. Amazon and Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) already offer the exact same deal. Never mind.
Borders invested a lot of money in developing a site with no particular competitive advantages. Most Amazon customers are pretty happy with the service they get, and I just don't see any reason for anyone to switch. The duplication of effort probably makes Borders less attractive to potential strategic buyers like Barnes & Noble, which might have preferred that the company pay down debt instead of building another website.
Entrepreneur's Journal: Key steps for telesales success
The week in preview: Focus returns to earnings: Alcoa, Chevron, Family Dollar
Comfort Zone Investing: Survival of the fittest -- letting some banks fail
