The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

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Book Depository plans overseas drive

22.08.08 Graeme Neill

The Book Depository is planning to expand internationally with country-specific websites, following the appointment of former BookRabbit m.d. Kieron Smith as its new managing director.

The Book Depository c.e.o. Andrew Crawford told The Bookseller: "We really want to become a world bookseller, and will be working in this direction over the next three to four years."

He said the retailer, which has annual sales of £40m, planned country-specific websites, with country-specific pricing, product and content. "The primary focus for the next three to four months will be on getting a new commercial website up and running for the UK and US."

The company has also employed the six other BookRabbit employees made redundant from the ArgentVive-owned online retailer last month.

Social networking books site BookRabbit launched in March, backed by Charles Denton's ArgentVive group, but in July it made six staff redundant, including Smith, saying that it needed extra investment and had an "unproven revenue model".

Smith said he hoped to launch "lots of exciting ideas" over the next 12 months. Crawford founded The Book Depository in 2004.

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