The German company txtr GmbH and Readerlink Digital have signed an agreement making ReaderLink the exclusive partner for txtr’s ebook solution for non-trade and independent booksellers in the US. This cloud-based solution will allow consumers to buy from any of the ReaderLink-powered ebook stores and store their books in a cloud-based personal library.
Further, it is a step forward in allowing retailers to offer digital books. Mass, club, grocery, and drug retailers, who account for a lot of physical books sold, can now offer buyers the ability to buy ebooks as well. The release says the ReaderLink and txtr plan to make available to retailers an affordable, dedicated e-reader or tablet which retailers can offer to consumers as well.
The release goes on to say: “The US market is dominated by two players, which makes it hard for others to compete, despite consumer demand. ReaderLink and txtr offer the non-trade and independent booksellers the opportunity to form a ‘virtual federation’, and, as such, create a strong and viable 3rd alternative for consumers. Moreover, ReaderLink’s differentiator comes from the opportunity to convert consumers from physical to digital in-store: nearly 2,000 merchandisers have the ability to tie physical and digital offers together and educate consumers about he most suitable reading devices at the point of sale. Over 80% of people reading ebooks also read physical books, making this ability to drive cross-over in store a very powerful advantage.”
