email from Borders/Walden, February 11, 2010:
Good Morning,
Last fall, we let you know that in 2010, our Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores would transition onto the computer systems used by our Superstores, bringing all of our stores under one technology platform for in-store systems as well as merchandising, distribution and inventory management systems. With this change, we will also bring all of our stores under one set of business practices in stores and in the merchandising department.
Merging all stores onto a single technology platform represents a significant investment in our Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores that will provide benefits for us and for you:
- Youll receive one set of orders from us that includes orders for Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores that means one set of Purchase Orders for new releases and fewer reorder POs
- Well align processes and schedules company wide Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores will transition to the shipping schedule Borders is now using, and will move to the Borders process for new releases and laydowns
- Youll move to one set of shipments for all of our stores, and receive one set of returns
- Youll have just one account to reconcile
- Well be better able to manage overstock for all of our stores, since well have true shared overstock across our company
- Merchandising will have better visibility to each Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores inventory
- With the move to Borders systems, our Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores will get new items and replenishment more quickly
This change will bring improvements in our stores as well. Waldenbooks/Borders Express store employees will have enhanced capabilities to search for and fulfill customer requests, since theyll be using the same system available now in our Borders stores, and will have access to Borders.com in the store. Our POS transactions will be streamlined, with integration of Borders Rewards and other promotions with the POS system.
In addition to these system changes, effective at the end of January 2010, Borders and Waldenbooks merged into one company. We will continue to maintain Borders and Waldenbooks as distinct brands, but our Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores will be considered one entity for financial and accounting purposes.
The systems integration will take place over the next several months, with the final stages completed by mid-summer. Key milestones that impact your organization are listed below.
Process Changes
As we prepare to implement these systems changes, there are a few things you need to be aware of:
- Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores will be re-numbered with store numbers from the BSS AS400 system. Our new store numbers are available on our Vendor website at http://bridge.caspio.net/dp.asp?AppKey=F6D0C5C5A5F6D0C5C5A5. Use the current store number until 4/30 and then use the new store number.
- We will not be doing returns from our Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores in March and April as we do this conversion, with the exception of stores with space challenges such as our Airport stores.
- As part of our systems integration, we started transitioning all returns to our Borders facility in Pennsylvania beginning in late January. We will ship from the Tennessee returns center simultaneously until the end of April, at which time returns will be exclusively from Pennsylvania. As volumes ramp up in Pennsylvania, it will taper off in Tennessee. Any refused returns should be directed back to their origin. Additional information regarding the returns center transition will be included in the logistics routing guide.
- New releases for Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores will be bought on the Borders system beginning with titles scheduled to arrive in stores in April. You will receive only one set of POs for these titles. Laydown titles should be shipped on the Borders schedule starting with these April new releases.
- Beginning in April, replenishment orders will begin shifting from Waldenbooks/Borders Express to Borders. As a result, Waldenbooks/Borders Express POs will get progressively smaller and Borders POs will get progressively larger.
- Please continue to provide title cards for titles published through July. We will be rolling out a new process for vendors to present new titles to our buyers in the near future.
- Later this summer we will transition COS titles. In the meantime, COS POs will continue to come through the Waldenbooks/Borders Express system.
Timeline for Changes
Below is a timeline of key milestones in this process. Updated communication and reminders will be provided as these dates approach.
- 11:59 p.m., January 30, 2010: Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express merge
- Mid-February: April new titles orders will be combined for Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express stores
- March 22-April 30: All store conversions take place
- April: Replenishment orders will start to be combined for Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express
- May: Northeast Returns Center fully functional and processing Borders and Waldenbooks/Borders Express
- Summer 2010: COS orders will be generated from Borders system
Questions
If you have questions about how these changes impact your company please visit our vendor website at http://bridge.caspio.net/dp.asp?AppKey=F6D0C5C5A5F6D0C5C5A5 and review the VENDOR FAQs FOR BSR.doc for additional information. If your question is not answered there, email tdavidson@bordersgroupinc.com for accounts payable questions or vendorops@bordesgroupinc.com for all other questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Norton, Senior Vice President, Merchandising Adult Trade and Childrens Books,
Andi Lobdell, Senior Vice President, Merchandising Planning and Replenishment
What this means to you:
– Walden stores are being incorporated into the Borders account, so you will need to add the “new” Borders stores to your customer master file.– At some point you will no longer receive orders from your Walden mailbox. Orders that you have booked to Walden will be invoiced to Walden, and the invoices should go back through the existing Walden mailbox
– When the Walden stores “move” to Borders, your Walden POs will come in through your Borders mailbox. The new orders should also be invoiced through the new mailbox.