Lack of e-comm strategy was Borders' big mistake

Industry observers are blaming Borders' lack of action on the e-commerce front for its financial troubles. The book retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 16.

MarketWatch's Shawn Langlois, noted that in a “critical” error, “Borders initially eschewed a major online presence, opting to roll out more superstores while Amazon.com and Apple crashed in on a growing consumer appetite for electronic books.”

Washington Post blogger Rob Pegoraro noted that Borders decision not to open its own online store until 2008 – 2008! – had a major negative impact on the chain.

“Its worst mistake may have been its decision to opt out of online sales…More recently it opted for an all-of-the-above e-books strategy, in which it sold an assortment of third-party e-reader devices instead of developing one of its own,” he said.