Borders developing new prototype store

Borders Books and Music, Ann Arbor, Mich., is developing a new store design with a racetrack floor plan. According to the retailer, the design will differentiate Borders from its bookstore competitors and will make the store more accessible to customers. Vincent Altruda, who was named president of Borders' domestic and international stores last month, heads the new initiative. The plan sprang from the concept of category management that Borders borrowed from Jewel Osco, four years ago, and was introduced by CEO Greg Josefowicz, formerly of Jewel Osco. Product categories will be managed as individual business units and will be customized by store. The new design, by New York-based GRID2 International, is a 22,000-sq.-ft. space on one level. Customers will enter the new unit at the corner of the building and will be able to see the entire interior from the front door. A cafe will anchor the rear. Borders reported a 6.1 percent increase in its sales for 2003, compared to 2002.