Kobo has closed a partnership with the Booksellers Association of the UK & Ireland to make its e-readers available in 3,000 stores, including 1,000 independent bookshops.
As you may know, Kobo boasts over 10 million registered users worldwide. It serves over 14,000 booksellers in 12 countries, and is working on expanding its international presence through partnerships to boost its growth.
As a matter of fact, its deal for the UK and Ireland is only the latest of a series of agreements with bookselling players. For instance, it recently closed a partnership with the American Booksellers Association (ABA), while partnering with Livraria Cultura to expand into Brazil.
While today’s announcement strengthens Kobo’s position in the UK, its products were already widely available in the country, where they are selling in WH Smith’s bookstores and 100 Kobo Shops, but also at Asda, Dixons, Currys, John Lewis, Staples, Argos and others. Following the partnership, they will now reach a new audience that visits independent bookshops.
Earlier today, the Rakuten-owned Canadian company unveiled that its upcoming Kobo Arc Android tablet series will also be available with 32GB and 64GB storage options when it starts hitting the shelves in November.
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In addition to hardware, Kobo’s customers also get access to its e-book catalogue of over 3 million e-books, which is now opening up to British and Irish booksellers. According to Kobo, “the Association’s members will also be able to sell eBooks directly to their customers online, and members will share in the revenue on every sale.”
Image credit: TAKA@P.P.R.S
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