ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Borders Group, Inc. announced today that its more than 1,200 Borders and Waldenbooks stores around the globe sold approximately 1.2 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" on its first day of sales, Saturday, July 21. This is the highest single day sales of any title ever in Borders history. This first-day sales total for book seven -- the final book in the Harry Potter series -- compares to 850,000 copies sold worldwide by Borders of book six, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," its first day of sales in 2005.
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The company estimates that more than 800,000 Harry Potter fans attended celebrations in its U.S. stores that lasted until the early morning hours, where fans of the wildly popular Harry Potter series began the midnight countdown at Borders with "Grand Hallows Ball" celebrations. Every store crowned a king and queen of the Ball who were rewarded for having the best costumes. Prizes were awarded for the winners of the Harry Potter Spelling Bee and the "Great Snape Debate." The most coveted awards at Borders stores were a giant poster of the cover art for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" signed by artist Mary Grand Pre, and the opportunity to be first in line to purchase the new book.
"We are absolutely thrilled that so many customers chose to spend this very special evening with Borders," said Chief Executive Officer George Jones. "Our store staffs worked tirelessly throughout the evening and early morning hours to give our customers an exceptional experience. I am proud of the way Borders made the final Harry Potter book an event to remember in the lives of so many children and adults worldwide."
About Borders Group, Inc.
Borders Group, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BGP. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company is a $4.1 billion global retailer of books, music, movies, and gift and stationery items. Through its subsidiaries, Borders Group has more than 32,000 employees and operates over 1,200 stores worldwide. More information on Borders Group is available at http://www.bordersgroupinc.com/.
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