The £3.5 million ($5.1 million) development in Cornwall was jointly funded by the South West Regional Development Agency and the European Union through its Objective One funding programme. The grant aid was sufficient to overcome the locational disadvantages of a national distribution facility located on the remote south-west peninsula.

Philip Downer, managing director of Borders Books & Music, said: 'We are particularly delighted to have found this purpose-built, cost-efficient site only some 24 miles from our current distribution centre in Penryn, enabling most of our existing high quality workforce to relocate to the new facility.'

Borders has signed a deal to open its latest UK store in a 20,000-sf purpose-built unit at the Lakeside Retail Park in Thurrock, Essex, the second of five new orders stores planned for 2002. And in may 2002 it will take possession of a 22,000-sf store at the new N1 Centre in Islington, North London. Borders' agents for both deals were Reid Rose Gregory and Jones Lang Lasalle.