Borders store joins the Force

By Tom Clarke

Suggestions that Auckland and New Zealand are "over-retailed" are not concerning book, music and video retailer Gary Lombardo.

Mr Lombardo is the new executive general manager of the United States firm Borders, which opens its first New Zealand store in the Force Entertainment Centre in Queen St next month.

The American brushes off any concerns over the competitiveness of the market, saying that Borders' range of books, music, videos and magazines, and its retail style, will appeal to New Zealanders.

The store, Borders says, will have New Zealand's largest range and selection, with more than 140,000 different book titles, 45,000 music titles, 5000 video titles and 3000 magazine titles. It will also have two cafes and customers will be encouraged to browse and listen to music.

The location in the Force Entertainment Centre will be another plus, Mr Lombardo says.

"I think it's the most appropriate place for us to be because books can often be seen as entertainment as well as a necessity."

He also feels very comfortable being "partnered-up" with what he calls some of the best businesses in Auckland.

"Within the centre you have Imax, you have the best theatres in the world with amazing seats that are better than any 747 business class I've ever sat in. There's the Tourism Auckland office, a cybernet cafe, the New Century Boulevard, Planet Hollywood, a fine-dining restaurant, and a four-level club.

"As far as our partnerships go and people that I want to be near, these are the greatest partners I could ask for."

Mr Lombardo has been with Borders Group since 1995. He has held various managerial positions with the company and, before moving to Auckland to open the new store, was general manager of two stores in New Jersey. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York in Albany.

The general manager of the store is Australian Edward Klein who has been in the book trade since 1990, and who was inventory manager at Borders in Melbourne. He has a bachelor of legal studies from Melbourne's La Trobe University.

Cantabrian Glenn Pearson, the store's music manager, has worked in the music retail industry in Christchurch and London. He joined Borders when the company opened its Oxford St store in London, where he was the music supervisor.

Borders is one of the world's largest global retailers of books, music, video and other information and entertainment items and has stores in the United States, Britain, Australia and Singapore under the Borders and Waldenbooks brand. Most Borders stores incorporate cafes, so the company is a major specialty coffee retailer. Its electronic commerce sites have more than 10 million books, music and video items in stock.

The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.