The Bookseller.com

13th October 2008

WHS still cautious over e-books

10.07.08 Benedicte Page

W H Smith does not expect the e-book market to take off until either the price of e-readers falls below £100 or books become available on mobile phones.

The bookseller was responding to speculation that it was about to overhaul its e-book programme, following Borders’ decision to stock the Iliad e-reader earlier this year, and the anticipated arrival of the Sony Reader via Waterstone’s in the autumn.

WHS, which already sells e-books on its website ebooks.whsmith.co.uk, would not say whether it had any specific plans to ratchet up its e-book efforts, but a spokesperson said: "W H Smith has been selling e-books for a long time via its website, and we will be watching the market closely for new developments that we expect to see in the autumn, particularly the introduction of new hardware, so we are well positioned to capitalise on market growth in this area."

However, she added: "It is unlikely that the market will see significant growth until the price of the hardware hits a £99 price point or is accessed through new generation mobile phones."

The Sony Reader retails in the US for $299 (£150) and Amazon’s Kindle for $359, while the Iliad reader sells in the UK through Borders for £399.

Retail W H Smith Benedicte Page digitisation e books

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