CHAPTERS TURNS ANOTHER PAGE
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based bookseller Chapters Inc. launched its new e-commerce website, Chapters.ca, on April 23, Canada Book Day. The site will offer Web-based book buyers access to a catalogue of over 400,000 titles available for next-day delivery. The company plans to have 500,000 titles available this summer. The site will also sell videos, DVDs, music CDs and software. The new site is designed to complement ChaptersGlobe.com, the company's existing site which is run in partnership with the The Globe and Mail and which was launched less than a year ago. "ChaptersGlobe.com will continue to be one of Canada's definitive book websites," said Chapters Internet president Rick Segal. "The Globe and Mail will be an affiliate for the new products on the site, and we'll be exploring further content integration." Chapters is also installing electronic kiosks in all of its retail stores which will give physical customers access to the same catalogue of books available on the website, as part of a program to integrate the bricks-and-mortar side of the business more seamlessly with the flitting electrons side of the business. To promote the launch of the new site, Chapters is offering free shipping on products ordered before May 31. A marketing campaign using outdoor, transit, cinema, direct response and radio ads will support the launch. The campaign was created by BBDO Canada.