News Release

Contact:
Ann Roman
(734) 477-1392
aroman@bordersgroupinc.com

Contact:
Mary Davis
(734) 477-1374
mdavis4@bordersgroupinc.com

Borders and Waldenbooks Sell Over 250,000 Copies of “Breaking Dawn” on First Day of Sales

More than 225,000 fans attended midnight book release parties at Borders and Waldenbooks stores nationwide

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 3, 2008 – Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) today announced that its approximately 1,000 Borders and Waldenbooks stores throughout the U.S. and its Borders.com site sold more than a quarter million copies of Stephenie Meyer’s “Breaking Dawn” in total on its first day of sales, Saturday, Aug. 2. The book was so hotly anticipated that the number of pre-orders the retailer received for “Breaking Dawn” was second only in its history to the Harry Potter books. “Breaking Dawn” is the fourth and final installment in Meyer’s “Twilight” saga. It officially went on sale beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and was snapped up by eager fans, hundreds of thousands of whom attended special midnight release parties to get the book the moment it became available. The first-day “Breaking Dawn” sales total is nearly 10 times what the retailer’s first-day sales were for “Eclipse,” the third book in the series, illustrating the saga’s fast-growing popularity.

Borders Group estimates that more than 225,000 fans attended midnight release parties at its Borders and Waldenbooks stores nationwide that lasted until the early morning hours, where fans of Stephenie Meyer and the popular “Twilight” series participated in costume contests, trivia competitions, debates and a host of other fun activities:

• At Borders in New York City’s Penn Plaza, up to 1,000 fans crowded the two-level store, many arriving after attending a publisher-held concert and author event at the nearby Nokia Theater. One special fan—Sydney Noel, 13, of Seattle—won a publisher sweepstakes and had the thrill of attending and meeting Stephenie Meyer in person at the Nokia Theater. She then came to Borders where she received the royal treatment including a bouquet of red roses and the highly coveted first spot in line to purchase the book at midnight. Throughout the evening at Borders she and her best friend joined other fans to receive “undead” make-overs and they participated as judges in the store’s lively “Twilight” series debate, costume contest and a trivia challenge presided over in person by the founders of the #1 “Twilight” saga fan Web site “Twilightlexicon.com.”

• At Waldenbooks in Brownsville, Texas, even cleanup from last week’s Hurricane Dolly couldn’t dampen fans’ enthusiasm for “Breaking Dawn.” Customers were already standing in line when the store manager arrived at 8:30 a.m. Friday, and by midnight the store was crowded with hundreds of fans clamoring to buy the book.

• It was not just teenage girls getting into the spirit. At Borders in Gurnee, Ill., store employees teamed up with fan group “Twilight Moms” to visually transform the store into Forks, Wash., where the “Twilight” saga is set. They made scenery including a forest of trees and replicas of protagonist Bella’s house, car and high school. At Borders in Roseville, Calif., a local chapter of “Twilight Moms” conducted a podcast regarding the often heated debate about whether Bella should chose to spend her life with vampire Edward or werewolf Jacob.

“We are thrilled that so many fans came to Borders and Waldenbooks not only to buy this book but also to share the experience of joining together at our parties to have fun and express their love for Stephenie Meyer and this phenomenal series,” said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer George Jones. “While there are many places customers can buy bestsellers today, Borders and our dedicated store teams make the release of books like this an event in our customers’ lives. It’s just an example of why Borders is truly a headquarters for knowledge and entertainment.”

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP), is a leading retailer of books, music and movies with more than 28,000 employees. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1,100 stores worldwide primarily under the Borders^® and Waldenbooks^® brand names and recently launched Borders.com for online shopping.  For more information, visit www.borders.com/aboutus.

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