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Amazon to shut down Book Depository online store

By Nagasunder in Amazon News, posted April 5, 2023

Following a staff reduction declaration, Amazon will close the Gloucester-based web shop Book Depository at the end of April.

Stuart Felton and Andrew Crawford, a former Amazon employee, created Book Depository to compete with the tech giant.

It aimed to sell "less of more" rather than "more of less," with plans to release six million titles spanning a broad range of genres and subjects rather than just bestsellers.

Amazon purchased the online bookstore in 2011, getting greater control over the UK book trade. Book Depository had an operating profit of £2.3 million on revenues of £69 million the year before the acquisition.

An inside email sent out to vendors and publishing partners proposes that Book Depository will be closing, with the last date for placing orders set as April 26.

Andy Chart, head of vendor management said: “Over the coming weeks we will complete a winding down of the business, including discontinuing our listings as a marketplace seller and closing our website.”

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He said: “I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you, from everyone at Book Depository and our book-loving customers, for your supportive partnership over the years in helping us to make printed books more accessible to readers around the world,”

In November, Amazon announced its decision to eliminate a number of positions across the Devices and Books businesses paired with a voluntary reduction offer for a number of employees in the People, Experience and Technology (PXT) organization.

Later in March, it was revealed the tech giant would slash 9,000 more jobs, primarily in AWS, PXT, Advertising, and Twitch.

Source: Charged Retail