An acquisition of Borders would allow Barnes & Noble to become the only major specialty bookstore chain in the U.S. and give the company a stronger position to compete against online vendors.
Barnes & Noble's membership program offers customers discounts on purchases in exchange for an annual membership fee. This program drives customers to return to Barnes & Noble and also provides the firm with a large amount of data on customer behavior and preferences.
Barnes & Noble offers helpful customer service representatives who can help shoppers find gifts and other products, an advantage over online stores such as Amazon.