Screenshot of Book depository website

Book Depository has now Closed!

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Summary

  • Book Depository, an online bookshop owned by Amazon, is closing down after nearly two decades in business.
  • The closure is part of Amazon’s global restructuring efforts, which involve cutting thousands of jobs and making cost-saving measures.
  • Book Depository informed customers that it will cease operations at the end of the month, but they can continue to place orders until the last day of trading.
  • The closure saddened many customers worldwide who appreciated the shop’s wide selection and free international shipping.

Book Depository, an online bookshop owned by Amazon.com, is closing down after nearly two decades of operation. The closure comes as part of Amazon’s global restructuring efforts, which involve cutting thousands of jobs.

Book Depository informed its customers that it would cease operations at the end of this month. Customers can continue placing orders until the last day of trading. The announcement saddened many customers around the world who had relied on the shop for its wide selection and free international shipping.

“I can confirm that we’ve taken the difficult decision to close Book Depository,” an Amazon spokesperson told the BBC.

Book Depository, founded in 2004 by former Amazon employee Andrew Crawford, was acquired by Amazon in 2011.

The decision to close the company is part of Amazon’s cost-saving measures, which have included changes to its book business, such as discontinuing the sale of magazines and newspaper subscriptions on its Kindle e-book device.

Amazon has been experiencing slower sales as consumers reduce spending due to the cost of living crisis. This closure reflects the broader challenges faced by technology companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta in balancing cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.

A list of alternative online book shops can be found in our popular guide.

Good or Bad?

The closure of Book Depository, an online bookshop owned by Amazon, may have both positive and negative implications for local bookshops. On one hand, the closure eliminates a major competitor in the online book retail space, potentially creating opportunities for local bookshops to attract more customers. With Book Depository’s closure, customers who prefer physical stores or supporting local businesses might turn to their nearby bookshops instead.

On the other hand, Book Depository’s wide selection and free international shipping made it a convenient option for readers worldwide. Its closure might result in some customers shifting their online book purchases to other large platforms, like Amazon itself, which could further challenge local bookshops’ ability to compete in the online space. Additionally, the closure of Book Depository could also affect small publishers or self-published authors who relied on the platform to reach a global audience.


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