Online retailer Amazon.co.uk will provide the e-commerce platform
for Waterstone's new transactional Web site, after agreeing a deal
with the bookstore. Up to 50 jobs will be lost at Waterstones,
although the company said employees will be redeployed if
possible.
Waterstone's will provide the editorial content for
waterstones.co.uk, which will be relaunched in the autumn. Amazon
will be the seller of record-providing inventory, fulfilment, other
content and customer service.
Users will be directed to a "mirror" site hosted on Amazon servers.
Waterstone's will have the majority of the branding, although there
will be some links to Amazon.co.uk.
Peter Mitchell, business development manager at Waterstone's, said
the deal will enable the company to cut operating costs as soon as
the site is launched. "The technology investments that we would
have to keep making will be covered by Amazon," he said.