Waterstone's Bookstore mission is to be the leading bookseller on the UK high-street and online providing customers the widest choice of books, great value and expert advice from a team passionate about bookselling. Waterstone's aims to interest and excite its customers and continually inspire people to read and engage in books.
Now part of HMV Group,
Waterstone's Bookstore first opened in Old Brompton Road, London, in 1982 and currently trades from more than 300 stores, on high-streets and in shopping centres, and through numerous university campuses in the UK, Republic of Ireland and continental Europe, as well as on the Isle of Man, Jersey and the Isle of Wight.
Features and functions of
Waterstones.com include:
* Bookseller Reviews: thousands of reviews and recommedations from real booksellers in
Waterstone's Bookstore branches.
* Ask a Bookseller: email contact with real booksellers on hand to offer advice, personal recommendations and help finding a particular book. Waterstone's Bookstore endeavour to respond to each request within 48 hours.
* Integration of bricks and clicks: Waterstones.com has put the high street stores at its heart - customers are able to check stock levels of their favourite book in their nearest store and then call the store to put books aside.
* Delivery options: free delivery over £15 to the address of your choice, or totally free delivery and free returns to your local
Waterstone's Bookstore branch - never spend your Saturday queuing at the post office again.
* Events in stores: Signed books make extra special gifts. Keep ahead of Waterstone's popular events programme with a fully searchable function to find the latest book signings in-store - listed by author, by month or by location.
* Online book clubs: linking booklovers across the UK who have a passion for reading - current topics include The Booker Shortlist 2014, West End Girls by Jenny Colgan, Everyman, by Philip Roth, The Colour of a Dog Running Away by Richard Gwyn and The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham.
* Meet the Author online videos so you can listen to what your favourite authors have to say about their latest release, their writing life, or their own favourite books. Authors include: Jacqueline Wilson, Ian Rankin and Victoria Hislop.
* Exclusive author interviews and competitions, current competitions include a trip to see Mamma Mia! in New York, lunch with author Jenny Colgan, a £2000 shopping trip with Trinny and Susannah and a trip to London's west end to see the hit musical ‘Wicked'.
No two
Waterstone's bookshops are the same. Sophisticated stock management systems ensure that each Waterstone's Bookstore has its own unique range profile and space at the front of store to promote a choice of books picked by that branch.
Waterstone's Bookstore reputation is built upon the knowledge and enthusiasm of their 4,500 booksellers. Waterstone's booksellers love great books and are dedicated to finding the titles that customers want.
Waterstone's Bookstore strives to create places where people who are interested in books can go to browse, a place that encourages new readers to expand horizons and that is home to booksellers that are passionate about the books that they sell.
An average sized
Waterstone's Bookstore merchandises a range of around 30,000 individual books, with 200,000 titles in the largest store. With over one million books in print, and around 120,000 new consumer titles published every year, the expert recommendations and advice of the company's booksellers are key ingredients in its success.
