Berlin-based e-reading solutions provider txtr signs agreement making ReaderLink the exclusive partner of its ebook solution for non-trade, independent booksellers in the US, opens up new sales channel for retailers

Kendall Sinclair

CHICAGO , January 7, 2013 (press release) – Innovative cloud-based eReading solution allows consumers to buy from multiple ReaderLink Powered eBook stores but retain all purchases in one single library—no more lock-in

ReaderLink Digital and Berlin-based txtr GmbH (txtr) have signed an agreement making ReaderLink the exclusive partner of txtr’s eBook solution for non-trade and independent booksellers in the United States of America.

“This partnership opens up an entirely new sales channel for our retail partners,” said David Barker, President of ReaderLink Digital. “Whether they are mass merchants, warehouse clubs, grocery chains, drug stores or department stores, they can quickly and easily begin offering eBooks to their customers.”

Most importantly, consumers will have the benefit of being able to store all of their eBooks in one common library, no matter which ReaderLink Powered retailer they purchased their book from. In addition, advantages of the ReaderLink and txtr solution for retailers include minimal start-up costs, fast speed-to-market and limited technical integration. The solution is also device agnostic, allowing consumers to shop and read from most smartphones, tablets, or computers without being locked into any particular eReading device.

Mass, club, grocery, and drug retailers account for a large portion of the physical books sold in the United States but they have yet to enter the rapidly-expanding digital book space. This solution gives them that chance and provides them with a significant sales opportunity. According to Barker, retailers are not the only ones who will benefit from the ReaderLink and txtr partnership; consumers will benefit too.

“They will have the freedom to shop for eBooks from a variety of retailers, not just one or two large players, providing them with the best possible price and selection without committing them to one retailer for all of their future purchases.”

Since the beginning of 2012, txtr has been diligently partnering with U.S. publishers and has assembled an impressive U.S. and foreign language catalog to enter the vast U.S. market for eBooks with the right partner. That partner has now been found in ReaderLink. The txtr cloud-based eBook solution will enable U.S. consumers to buy from any of the ReaderLink Powered eBook stores and read all books from a single cloudbased personal library—all of your eBooks in one single vault. 

Together, ReaderLink and txtr also plan to make available to retailers an affordable dedicated eReader or tablet that they can offer their customers.

Thomas Leliveld, txtr’s Chief Commercial Officer, notes, “The U.S. 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 3 rd 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 to educate consumers about the most suitable reading devices at the point of sale. ver 80% of people reading eBooks, also read physical books, making this ability to drive cross-over in store a very powerful advantage.”

About ReaderLink Distribution Services

ReaderLink Digital is a division of ReaderLink Distribution Services, LLC, the largest full-service book distributor in North America and a recognized leader in distribution logistics, value-added category management services, field service and business analytics. ReaderLink is located in Oak Brook, IL.

ReaderLink Distribution Services distributes hardcover, trade, and paperback books to non-trade channel booksellers in North America. It also provides marketing and product selection services and a category management system that utilizes Bookscan, and other syndicated and internal data to refine title and assortment decisions. It additionally provides distribution, fulfillment, merchandising, promotional, business analytics, and category management services. The company serves various types of retailers, such as mass merchants, warehouse clubs, department stores, drug stores, and grocery stores.

For more information, go to www.readerlink.com.

About txtr GmbH

txtr is a leading European eBook retailer and eReading solutions provider. The txtr eBook catalog has over 800,000 commercial titles and provides access to many more free eBooks. With eBooks in over ten different languages, in the standard EPUB or PDF formats, txtr aims to make eReading accessible for all. txtr also recently announced the txtr beagle, a companion eInk reader that pairs with smartphones, with which it wants to democratize eReading.

The company describes itself as a Berlin-based, technology-led company providing global but locally relevant cloud-based eReading solutions on smartphones, tablets, eReaders, PCs and the web. txtr operates over 80 different eBook stores for leading retailers and device makers and its own store under the name txtr.com in 14 countries. txtr’s technology also powers the 3M Cloud Library eBook lending solutions for numerous libraries in the United States, including the New York Public Library.

txtr maintains a New York-based office to stay in close contact with all publishing partners and North American eBooksellers.

For more information, go to www.corporate.txtr.com.

* Pew Research, April 2012

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