Waterstone's in e-book deal
The bookseller Waterstone's is gearing up to launch its first electronic book reader device this autumn, as rival Borders UK revealed sales of the e-book it launched in May are ahead of expectations.
Waterstone's, which is part of HMV Group, is thought to have signed a deal with Sony to sell the Sony Reader in the majority of its UK stores later this year. The Sony Reader retails in the US for $299 (£150), but the price of its UK launch in Waterstone's is yet to be confirmed.
The launch is eagerly anticipated because e-books could ultimately have a similar impact on the book industry that MP3 devices have had on the music sector. However, industry experts believe e-books will only become mainstream if the price of the devices falls substantially.
Borders UK became the first UK retailer to sell an e-book reader in its stores in May, when it launched the iLiad device, which retails for £399.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies