Borders seeks to enhance e-commerce site

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Borders Direct, the e-commerce platform of Borders, has announced that it has selected a company to help enhance the Magic Shelf feature of its upcoming e-commerce site.

Allurent, an innovative software company powering online shopping experiences, will aid the sit launch in the first quarter of 2008.

The Magic Shelf, the patent pending innovation created by Borders, is a unique online version of the book shopping experience. When arriving at the beta site's home page, customers see a realistic looking, three-dimensional wooden shelf of actual book, CD and DVD covers displayed, as they would be in a store.

Working with Allurent, this function will be enhanced and customers will be able to simply hover over a title and details will smoothly emerge for customers to interact with to learn more and then directly add the item to their shopping cart. Over time, as customers shop at the future Borders.com, the Magic Shelf will become personalized for the shopper based on past purchases and will display books that the customer may be particularly interested in exploring.

“By adding Allurent's innovative software products and expertise, we will make the Magic Shelf even better for customers to shop, and easier for our company to maintain over time," said Kevin Ertell, Borders Group's vp of e-business.