John Lewis to offer B&N's Nook eReaders in the UK

Barnes & Noble has announced a partnership with John Lewis that will see the retail chain offer its Nook eReader devices when they launch in the UK later this year.

John Lewis, the first firm outside the US to partner with book chain Barnes & Noble, will stock the Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight in its 37 UK stores and at www.johnlewis.com from October.















As previously announced, Barnes & Noble will also offer the devices at its own UK online retail store, going head to head with Amazon's market-leading Kindle.

The eReaders will be backed up by Barnes & Noble's digital book and content store.

"John Lewis is where knowledgeable customers turn for trusted advice on the best products to purchase, and they are a perfect partner to help launch Nook in the UK," said Jamie Iannone, the president of digital products at Barnes & Noble.

"We look forward to bringing more choice and convenience to discerning UK customers with our critically acclaimed line of reading devices and expansive selection of content."

The Nook Simple Touch is a lightweight device that features a WiFi connection and E Ink technology for reading even in bright sunlight. GlowLight is patent-pending lighting technology for comfortable reading while in the dark.

Any content purchased from the Nook store - including the 2.5m available eBooks, along with newspapers, magazines and comics - is stored in the Nook Cloud.

John Lewis buying director for electricals Ed Connolly said: "This award-winning line of eReaders adds greater choice to this expanding category.

"We think our customers will love Nook's adaptability thanks to its E Ink display and unique built-in GlowLight, perfect for day or night-time reading."

Further information on Nook pricing and exact availability will be announced in the autumn, said Barnes & Noble.

Commercial terms of the John Lewis partnership were not disclosed.