Waterstones to stack Kindles on its shelves
WATERSTONES yesterday unveiled a partnership with Amazon that will see the iconic British bookshop sell the Kindle e-reader and e-books.
The high street retailer, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year, said the deal is part of its major refurbishment programme, which will see its stores decked out with new coffee shops, free wifi access and dedicated digital areas.
The move surprised some, as Waterstones managing director James Daunt has previously spoken out against Amazon, calling it “a ruthless money-making devil”.
The bookshop was also known to be working on its own e-reader device, which was set to launch this spring.
But Daunt insisted Waterstones was not compromising itself. He said, “We needed to solve the digital question… Are we forsaking the physical book for the digital? Not at all.”
In a statement, Daunt said the deal “will complement and strengthen the traditional attributes of the bookshops to which the company remains fundamentally committed”.
The companies declined to disclose commercial terms of the partnership, and said further details will be announced in the autumn.
This date could also point towards the arrival in the UK of the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s Android-based colour touchscreen tablet which launched in the US before Christmas.
Waterstone’s deal with Amazon echoes Microsoft’s partnership with Barnes & Noble and its Nook e-reader, announced in late April.
Amazon shares rose 4.26 per cent to 218.11.