The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Abebooks buys US bookseller host

09.04.08

Online second-hand bookseller AbeBooks.com has bought Chrislands, a US-based business that builds, hosts and maintains online bookstores. The sum paid was not disclosed. It is AbeBooks' fourth acquisition in the past four years.

Co-founded in 2001 by Lance Christen and Jaymes Sorbel, Chrislands hosts more than 1,000 online bookstores. It builds search engine-friendly stores with inventory uploaded to Google. Chrislands will continue to operate as an independent business but will receive access to AbeBooks' expertise and resources, the company said.

"Chrislands is a perfect fit for us - it's a book-related ecommerce business that is thriving," said Hannes Blum, chief executive and president of AbeBooks.com. "Lance and Jaymes understand booksellers and the demands of online retailing – we're thrilled about working together."

Lance Christen, co-founder of Chrislands, said: "Our customers will feel the benefit of this deal very quickly. Ultimately, we'll be able to offer a better product by working closely with AbeBooks.com and its affiliated companies. We're very excited about the future."

The majority of Chrislands' customers are used booksellers in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Chrislands charges a set-up fee of (USD) $199 and then a monthly fee starting at $19.99 per month.

In 2004, AbeBooks bought IberLibro.com, a Spanish online marketplace for used and rare books. It acquired BookFinder.com in 2005 and FillZ in 2006.

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