Go Read This | Amazon to Acquire The Book Depository – Yahoo! Finance

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Eoin Purcell

July 4, 2011

UPDATE: According to a tweet sent this afternoon, the copany will retain operational independence from Amazon.

http://twitter.com/#!/bookdepository/status/87876554142658561

Congrats to the Book Depository team. I guess this is a case of, ‘How do you know you are doing something right? Amazon acquires you!’

It’s hard to know what the play is here. It could be any of:

1) Increasing UK and European exposure
2) Building a better position in Australia
3) Defensive market-share building

Or any number of other things. There must be some worries about competition approval, at least in the UK, with this.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN – News) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire The Book Depository International. The Book Depository is an online bookseller offering over six million books for delivery worldwide.

“Customers in more than 100 countries enjoy The Book Depository’s vast selection, convenient delivery and free shipping,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s Vice President of European Retail. “The Book Depository is very focused on serving its customers around the world, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Amazon family.”

Amazon to Acquire The Book Depository – Yahoo! Finance.

10 responses to “Go Read This | Amazon to Acquire The Book Depository – Yahoo! Finance”

Brian Martin

July 4, 2011

All three are valid but my gut feeling is point ‘2’. Its stands out more acutely.
It was the Book Despository that got the ball rolling with getting book into OZ in terms of no delivery charge.

Reply
Eoin Purcell

July 4, 2011

I tend to agree Brian, Australia seems to be ripe for Amazon. What’s more from an ebook perspective, it seems ready to bite and Amazon could leverage Book Depository’s print footprint there rather well!

Reply
Amazon to acquire The Book Depository, Pearson to acquire REDgroup online – Book Thingo

July 4, 2011

[…] Eoin Purcell speculates on his blog that one of the reasons for the acquisition could be to build a better market position in […]

Reply
Edie

July 4, 2011

But wouldn’t ebooks still be bound by geo restrictions? So, as ebook hungry as Oz seems to be, it would be a limited market. Wouldn’t it?

Reply
1. Eoin Purcell
  
  July 4, 2011
  
  Even if that is the case (which I’m not clear on for certain) Amazon will want that limited market! It’s probably the largest English speaking market they’re not in right now, no?
  
  Reply
Philip Downer

July 4, 2011

Can I suggest (4): Ensure that Waterstone’s new flush of confidence is quickly brought back down to earth.
Waterstone’s and Book Depository could have been a perfect marriage, brokered by a Russian billionaire. Online commerce: check!
Then sort out eBook (B&N deal for Nook in the UK), and the multi-platform job would have been done.

Reply
1. Eoin Purcell
  
  July 4, 2011
  
  Agreed Philip,
  
  That’s a good one! I always figured there was a Nook/Kobo + Waterstones deal to be done! Kobo deal’s still possible though!
  
  Eoin
  
  Reply
Why has Amazon sought to acquire the Book Depository? « Front of Store

July 4, 2011

[…] Check out Eoin’s blog here: http://eoinpurcellsblog.com/2011/07/04/go-read-this-amazon-to-acquire-the-book-depository-yahoo-fina… […]

Reply
Ian

July 5, 2011

Just saw this, The founder and majority shareholder of The Book Depository is Irish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Crawford , I bet all the Irish Media miss this.

Reply
1. Eoin Purcell
  
  July 5, 2011
  
  Now that IS amusing!
  
  Reply

I’m Eoin,

Co-founder and publisher @fullsetbooks 📚. Expect books and 🍰.

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