The Amazon takeover continues

Responding to Amazon's takeover of The Book Depository, editor in chief of The Bookseller Neill Denny says: "British book retailers, and publishers, are now increasingly threatened by a competitor with almost limitless pockets, intent on customer acquisition at almost any cost. Amazon's range of secretive activities across the book trade threatens to gravely weaken one of Britain's most important creative industries, and the government does nothing."

Aaaaaaaaaaaargh Amazon you just never stop! The ambition of the retail giant to take over the publishing and selling of reading material is limitless. Taking over The Book Depository is simply the next step in their plan to dominate bookselling. Getting involved are the Office of Fair Trading, but it turns out that no competition laws have in fact been breached. According to Amelia Fletcher, OFT's chief economist "following a thorough investigation we are satisfied that this small increment to Amazon's position does not raise competition issues." Although Amazon does face competition from various online retailers and bricks and mortar outlets, it is in a very strong position at the moment which is worrying to the bookselling industry. This is a strategic merger between the two bodies, but is also linking in to the Amazon ethos and development of its niche publishing strategy which is being implemented by its imprints, namely The Domino Project. The idea behind The Book Depository is based on the concept of selling "less of more" rather than "more of less". This focus is something I find important in publishing and the marketing of its product. Create a focus, an identity and get good at publishing a particular type of content. Consumers will then come back to you for that particular product because they know you are good at producing it. The imprint is the best way to create this focus, to build up a strong author base, a great consumer following and produce content that a particular market is craving.

This is what Amazon is all about - finding out what the consumer wants, refining its products and sticking to a particular product that will cater for a specific group of consumers and their needs. From this point they can expand this outlook, but a niche concept creates the right kind of focus needed to capture audiences and keep them. The merger of Amazon with The Book Depository sees the strengthening of these interests - getting good at one thing and perfecting it.