The initial 1998 launch of Borders.com was a money pit
The end of the first fiscal year produced $4.6 million in online sales, leading to an net loss of $10.5 million
What did customers want to see in an online bookstore?
How could Borders accurately portray the feel of a brick & mortar bookstore through the internet?
Borders needed to establish a trusting relationship with consumers
Dot com era was still relatively new
What incentive do people have to input their information on Borders.com, when they’ve already given their data to Amazon.com?
Borders needed to set itself apart from other online booksellers