Bookseller Waterstone’s intends to launch an e-reader next year, managing director James Daunt has revealed.
Daunt told BBC Radio 4’s “You & Yours” programme, that he wants the device to rival Amazon’s Kindle, The Bookseller reported.
Daunt said on the programme: “We need to offer 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.”
He cited the example of US bookseller Barnes & Noble, which has won back market share from Amazon by linking its Nook e-reader to its stores.
He said: “They have been gaining enormous market share, an increasing market share from Amazon. Effectively they are beating Amazon in their own back yard and it doesn’t surprise me at all that they are doing that.
“They run good bookshops that command the loyalty and indeed love of their customers and their customers choose to buy their reading in both physical format through them—that makes perfect sense to me.”
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