It seemed like only yesterday that Barnes and Noble announced its new partnership in the UK with Dixons. Wait, it really was just yesterday! Today it seems the company is increasing its retail ambitions with a new arrangement with Sainsbury’s. Together they will bring the award-winning NOOK reading experience and digital products as the exclusive e-reader to over 270 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK and online.
Sainsbury’s New Technology Buyer, Lindsay Evans, said, “We aim to offer our customers new and exciting products. The NOOK provides avid readers with a portable, easy way to consume literature. General merchandise represents a significant part of our business’ growth and it was critically important to us we found a device partner who understands the specific needs of our customers. The NOOK’s high quality and intuitive features make it perfect for the whole family to enjoy.”
Barnes and Noble is serious about its first international expansion. Dixon’s, PC World, Curry’s, John Lewis, Argos, Blackwell’s and Foyles. If you look at their competition with Amazon and Kobo, they only signed on one or two companies to distribute their products.
To further facilitate the UK and (ultimately) a greater European expansion, the company has initiated a new hire. Today B&N announced the appointment of Patrick Rouvillois as Vice President, Managing Director International, a new role in which he is responsible for building the NOOK brand outside the US across the globe. Barnes & Noble recently announced its plans to offer award-winning NOOK products to customers in the UK beginning this fall. Mr. Rouvillois is based in Luxembourg and reports to Jamie Iannone, President of Barnes & Noble Digital Products.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
