Borders Books & Music Stores to Celebrate ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' Release With Special Events on ``Potter Eve''

Business Wire, May 21, 2003

Business Editors

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2003

Most Anticipated Book of Summer on Sale at Stroke of

Midnight June 21

With only one month remaining before the release of the fifth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series on June 21, Borders Books & Music(R) stores across the nation are busy planning magical activities to celebrate. In anticipation of an unprecedented turnout of avid Harry Potter fans, all Borders stores will stay open past 12 a.m. on June 21 to entertain eager customers while they await the sale of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" at the stroke of midnight. Stores have planned a variety of unique activities, from herbology lectures in Indiana to recreated Hogwart's dining halls in Massachusetts, and a Diagon Alley carnival in Missouri.

The fourth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was released in July of 2000 and became the fastest-selling hardcover book in Borders' history. To date, Borders Group has taken more than half a million reservations for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in both Borders Books & Music and Waldenbooks stores, building the expectation that the fifth book will surpass all previous sales records. Hundreds of thousands of customers are anticipated to attend Potter parties in Borders stores nationwide.

When book four in the Harry Potter series was released, a store in Indianapolis hosted more than 500 people at an in-store celebration.

"I predict we'll experience just as much enthusiasm from fans this time around," said Erin Vargo-Haworth, Borders area marketing manager for Indiana. "I've invited a professor of horticulture from Purdue University to teach a class on herbology in the West Lafayette store featuring exotic plants, the uses of herbs in medicines throughout history and an activity for kids to make their own herb bags. Every store in the Indiana market has planned 'Potter Eve' parties."

In the Carmel, Indiana, store, a local zoo will showcase snakes, spiders and rats like those described in the Rowling books. In the Framingham, Massachusetts, Borders store, staff will recreate the Hogwart's school dining hall.

"The store will arrange tables into four long rows and decorate the area to look like the dining hall in Harry's school," said Louise Mutterperl, area marketing manager for the Framingham store. "We'll sort the students into the four houses, eat 'magical' food and have other Harry Potter activities."

Kansas City Borders stores will reconstruct the famous wizard shopping district, Diagon Alley, on June 20.

"Our aim is to make the stores feel like a carnival, with booths run by local merchants that offer an assortment of magical goodies," said Rebecca Brooks, Borders area marketing manager for the Kansas City stores. "It's encouraging to see so many children excited about reading, and if we can reflect that excitement in our stores then we'll have accomplished our goal."

Borders will sell the 896-page, 38-chapter book at 40% off of the publisher's list price of $29.99. A collector's edition will also be available at 40% off of the publisher's list price of $60.00. The unabridged audio CD and cassette versions of the book, read by acclaimed Potter narrator Jim Dale, will be released simultaneously with the book. Both audio versions will be sold at 30% off of the publisher's list prices.

For more information on the Harry Potter Eve events, call your local Borders store. To locate the nearest Borders, visit www.bordersstores.com.

About Borders Group

Borders Group is a leading global retailer of books, music, video and other information and entertainment items with stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group employs 32,000 worldwide and operates over 410 Borders domestic superstores, 34 international Borders stores, 37 Books etc. locations and approximately 775 Waldenbooks stores. Teamed with Amazon.com, the company also offers online shopping through Borders.com (www.borders.com) and Waldenbooks.com (www.waldenbooks.com). More detailed information on the company is available at www.bordersgroupinc.com. Information on Borders stores is available through www.bordersstores.com.