Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books Music & More, has appointed Edward (Ted) Boyd president of the chain store's newly redesigned Web site, www.indigo.ca.

Reisman said in a press release, "Online retailing is just beginning in Canada, making this a crucial time for Canadian e-commerce and for www.indigo.ca. With his extensive industry experience and visionary achievements, Ted will ensure that www.indigo.ca is a market leader in 'space,' just as the company is the market leader on the ground, or in 'place.'" Boyd was previously senior vice-president, new business/new media technologies at the Canadian arm of the New York-based international ad agency Young & Rubicam.

Boyd believes the time is right to head into e-commerce with full force and that Indigo's products-it has 2.9 million titles in its database-are a good fit for that market. Boyd told PW, "Internet penetration rates have continued to climb quite significantly, so I think people are more predisposed to buying things from the Web.... I think the type of products that Indigo sells are nicely aligned with this new distribution channel."

Boyd is quick to point out, however, that the online service is not merely a separate venue for generating profits but an accompaniment to the entire Indigo experience. Indigo currently has eight locations in Canada and 25 additional locations are slated for opening within the next year.