Kobo has just signed off on an agreement to their entire line of e-readers and tablets available at over 60 Eason bookstores in Ireland. Everything should be available within the next month and readers will be able to buy over 4-million titles across 68 languages, including international bestsellers, color-rich kids content, and works by local authors such as A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill, The Guts by Roddy Doyle, and The Honey Queen by Cathy Kelly.
Conor Whelan, Managing Director at Eason & Son commented on the partnership, “After reviewing a number of different options for the business we are delighted to partner with Kobo in offering our customers the best platform we believe for content and devices. This partnership is a key component of our digital strategy and will ensure that Eason remains a leading retailer of physical and digital books in Ireland. This partnership with Kobo will allow our customers to explore a vast digital catalogue at home or on the go. The devices will be available to buy in local Eason stores where our teams will be on hand to help you when buying your new Kobo device.”
In order to facilitate growth in Ireland, Kobo has taken advantage of government grants to setup a satellite office. They are employing 30 different people, mainly programmers, who will help facilitate customization of the online store experience for businesses Kobo does business with in Ireland, UK and Western Europe.
“Ireland is home to some of the brightest minds in the tech sector, and we’re excited to announce the opening of the Kobo office in Dublin,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO, Kobo. “Our team in Dublin helps to deliver the best eReading experiences and localized offerings for our bookselling partners like Eason, which we announced today.”
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.