PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
British bookseller Waterstone’s is to enter the digital reader race with company boss James Daunt telling Radio 4’s You and Yours program that he was motivated by the success of Barnes and Nobel’s Nook e-book reader.
In June previous Waterstone’s owner HMV sold the book retailer to A&NN Capital Fund Management with Daunt brought in to reverse the decline of the bricks and mortar book seller.
"We in Waterstone’s need to offer you a digital reader which is at least as good, and preferably substantially better, than that of our internet rival, and you will have a much better buying experience purchasing your books through us," Mr Daunt told BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme.
He went on to say that the Waterstone’s e-reader was on track and could be launched in the spring of 2012.
Waterstone’s has almost 300 stores in the UK, Ireland, Holland and Belgium, less than half of Barnes & Nobel’s 717 stores.
Barnes & Nobel announced last month that the US bookselling chain expects the firm’s e-book business to earn $1.8 billion in the current financial year.
