Quote:
Originally Posted by CommonReader
That's nice blurb-speak but it ignores that Waterstones core business is selling books.
|
Maybe not.
Maybe Waterstone's core business is B&M retailing.
Try this:
http://eoinpurcellsblog.com/2011/10/...three-choices/
Indigo, by cashing in their Kobo equity, clearly is betting their future on retailing, not on books.
Waterstone's, without a viable ebook business of their own, is making a similar choice: cashing in their brand and customer traffic for the biggest return they could get.
Watertone's held an auction. They went with the highest bidder.
If the highest bidder had been Nook, nobody would be screaming bloody murder, would they? That is because the "offense" isn't the partnership: it is *who* they are partnering with.
Maybe they *are* selling their soul.
(Shrug)
It is *their* soul to sell.
If you're going to "sell your soul" anyway, might as well go with biggest devil and get the best deal. No sense selling yourself cheap.
Waterstone's is reinventing themselves, the Amazon money will come in handy.