Borders offers free mobile content

Borders is to become the world’s first bookseller to distribute content to mobile phones. The retailer will send sample chapters to customers’ phones free of charge before books are released and a the book can then be purchased in-store for a discount of up to 20% using a barcode.

A list of books will be placed on the Borders website with a password that can be sent to a specially created number. The customer will be sent a confirmation text message with a link that connects to the internet and downloads the chapter to an applications file.

Borders will promote 30 new titles each month through the downloads. Laura Stafford, Border’s CRM and online manager, says the scheme builds on the company’s mobile voucher activity and is a further commitment to exploring how new technology can bring books to a wider audience.