While it’s not as original as offering a free smartphone for trying on a pair of jeans, bookstore Borders has an interesting proposition nonetheless: just wave your smartphone at your barista and you’ll get a free coffee.
The offer is, according to I4U, part of the company’s attempts to encourage users to download its eReader application onto their handsets and start buying up digital books – which, of course, have a significantly higher profit margin than the paper versions due to lower production costs and no requirement for storage, transportation, or shelf space.
Described as a “limited time” offer by the company – although with no indication of a firm end date – the free coffee is available in any Borders store in the US which hosts a Seattle’s Best Coffee shop. Just download the app – which is available for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone-based handsets for free – and show it at the till to be rewarded with your gift of a free small brewed coffee. Sadly for those who like a half-fat non-dairy non-whip chocamochachino, Borders is only going so far as to offer a standard, non-customised coffee – although if you asked nicely you could probably convince staff to part with a decaff instead.
You’re limited to a single cup as part of the offer, although there’s nothing to stop you visiting every Borders store in your area and stocking up on coffee if you’re feeling particularly sneaky.
If you don’t have a compatible smartphone but still want your free coffee, you don’t have to feel left out: while it’s not as convenient, you can also download the eReader app on to a Windows or MacOS laptop and use that instead, although it’s not going to be as easy to carry.
The offer demonstrates the lengths companies are willing to go in order to get a piece of the eReader market: with Apple having launched its iBooks store to critical acclaim, with Barnes & Nobel getting in on the action with the Nook eReader, and with Amazon’s Kindle store having set the standard, many companies see e-books as the future battleground for publishers and retailers – and with no manufacturing costs once the original copy has been produced, it’s easy to see why.
Details regarding the offer, along with the all-important fine print, are available on the official Borders website. If you’re after your free coffee, it’s worth visiting sooner rather than later, as Borders notes that the offer “may be discontinued at any time without notice.“
