http://www.msnbc.com/news/557898.asp

I wonder what the implications of this will be

Sounds like there will still be separate Amazon.com and Borders.com sites, they won't be identical and will have different content but will both be run by Amazon. I found this particularly of interest: "Borders customers using the site could “reserve” books, and pick them up at a local store later that day". If they allow you to buy at online prices (and with coupons) and pick-up locally, that's a good deal.

If you have any borders.com coupons, I'd probably try using them now (don't know if there are any...). My guess is that they are shutting down pretty soon and turning over to Amazon. Reports where that borders.com wasn't making them any money. Now Amazon.com/Borders B&M can match up to barnesandnoble.com more equivalently and perhaps get a leg up. I have a return for some cellphone merchandise that I've been meaning to send back to Amazon. I wonder if they'll allow Amazon returns to local Borders stores now to help cut costs (though I guess Border's stores wouldn't want to take back things like Lawn mowers, etc. either unless they were to really update their B&M operations quite a bit).

I guess no one saw my earlier thread here:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...threadid=99561

As of now you won't be able to return online items to Borders stores (especially not Lawnmowers!!!). Also, Borders.com will remain active until August, which is when the new co-branded Borders.com is expected to launch. The site won't be going away at all.

I saw it... (in whiny Luke Skywalker "I Care" voice)

I actually didn't see your earlier thread and was speculating since I didn't see that detailed announcement when I responded. Interesting approach they are taking. It sounds like this arrangement is putting the fulfillment one step higher than what had previously has been popularly used for just the inventory warehouses themselves which are shared amongst many web sites. I think this is actually a real positive thing.

I've often felt that one of the big things plaguing the ecommerce industry is the disconnect that web sites have and different ways they do inventory monitoring and order changes, etc. that make doing business with many web sites a nightmare. If some better operations that become more "trusted" in their ways of reporting inventory, order status and ability to change aspects of orders, become more "standardized" then I think that's good for the whole industry, as people will be swayed towards buying more online again for convenience (convenience is not a word I'd describe shopping experiences with many sites at the moment).

In my mind the key thing is how well Amazon does in building a good cobranded shopping experience for Borders. If it works well, look for many other B*M stores to partner with Amazon so they don't have to reinvent the ecommerce wheel to take advantage of it, and then maybe we really will have a way to return a lawnmower to a B&M when bought through Amazon.com (or a cobranded purchase through something like homedepot.com serviced through Amazon.com). I think that will be good for all of us. Hope this works and that Amazon delivers!