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Barnes & Noble has announced Dixons as another British retail partner to sell Nook devices. Meanwhile it has also revealed that its Europe headquarters will be based in Luxembourg. The company has also announced the appointment of Patrick Rouvillois as vice-president, managing director of international, a new role in which he is responsible for building the Nook brand outside the US “across the globe”.
Dixons Retail, which owns 600 PC World and Currys stores, will begin to sell US bookseller Barnes & Noble’s Nook products in October. The retailer joins Foyles, Blackwell’s, John Lewis and Argos, with further announcements about stockists thought to be yet to come.
Jamie Iannone, president of digital products at B&N, said: “We are very excited to work with a company that, just like Barnes & Noble, puts its customers at the forefront of its business. We look forward to bringing our highly sought-after line of Nook reading devices and content to PC World and Currys customers this autumn.”
Dean Kramer, head of computing hardware at Currys and PC World, said: “Portable tablet and e-reading technology is becoming ever more popular so we are thrilled to be stocking Barnes & Noble’s stylish, high quality Nook products; we believe they will be one of the must-have gadgets for Christmas.”
B&N has also said its European headquarters will be in Luxembourg, where the VAT on e-books is 3%. In the UK, VAT on e-books is 20%. Amazon also has its Europe headquarters in Luxembourg, facing criticism from some quarters as a result.
The company has previously revealed it planned to launch in 10 countries within 12 months.
Rouvillois joins Barnes & Noble from Carrefour where he was head of e-commerce and oversaw the growth of the Carrefour brand. Before that, he was executive vice-president of consumer marketing for telecommunications operator the Orange Group.
Jamie Iannone, president of digital products at B&N, said: “We’re thrilled to have Patrick join the team as we embark on our international expansion of the Nook brand into the UK and beyond. Patrick brings strong leadership to the role, and his vast background in the retail, consulting, telecom and media sectors will be incredibly valuable.”