ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders Group today announced a reorganization of its Paperchase U.S. leadership team to strengthen alignment with the U.K. headquarters of the gift and stationery retailer. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSGRPLOGO) Paperchase U.S. President Dick Lynch is departing the company as Jim Frering joins Borders Group as Vice President, Paperchase U.S. Operations. Frering, 48, is based in Ann Arbor and reports to Simon Howes, Head of Retail at Paperchase U.K., headquartered in London. Frering is responsible for the continued expansion and successful operation of Paperchase shops in the U.S. as Borders Group continues to extend the concept in its Borders superstores. Today, there are more than 335 Paperchase shops within Borders stores nationwide and approximately 120 Paperchase locations outside the U.S., including free-standing stores, as well as shops within department stores and transit stations. Prior to joining Borders Group, Frering was with Linens 'N Things for 10 years, where he progressed through a series of leadership positions, most recently serving as Corporate Vice President, Financial and Merchandise Planning and Control. Prior to Linens 'N Things, Frering worked for East Coast electronics retailer Lechmere, Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany. The Paperchase U.S. leadership reorganization also includes the reassignment of Teresa Wright, Vice President, Paperchase U.S. Merchandising to the buying team headed by Mike Oprins, Borders Group Vice President, Merchandising-Non-Book. Wright will be supported by the U.S. merchandising organization while continuing to work closely with the Paperchase U.K. product development and buying team. "Paperchase is a great brand and a successful business in the U.K. that has further growth potential in the U.S. through the continued expansion of the shops within our Borders superstores as well as through further improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of how we operate the business here," said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer Ron Marshall. "By creating a closer connection between the U.K. leadership and our U.S. team, we'll be in the best position to take advantage of these opportunities." About Borders Group Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group is a leading retailer of books, music and movies with approximately 1,000 stores and over 25,000 employees. More information on the company is available at http://www.borders.com/media. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSGRPLOGODATASOURCE: Borders Group CONTACT: Anne Roman, +1-734-477-1392, Web Site: http://www.borders.com/media

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