Amazon.co.uk to Provide Fulfillment for Waterstone’s

Amazon.com’s U.K. unit, Amazon.co.uk, Wednesday sealed a strategic alliance with U.K specialist bookseller Waterstone’s to relaunch that company’s site powered by Amazon’s e-commerce platform.

Financial terms of the alliance were not disclosed.

Amazon said the site will be relaunched in autumn 2001. It will continue to feature store locations, promotions and events information, but Amazon will now be the seller of record, providing inventory, fulfillment, other content and customer service for the site. Waterstone’s team will continue to provide editorial content.

Waterstone’s also plans to promote the site in its physical stores.

“This partnership enables Waterstone’s to offer our customers the best of both worlds — outstanding book knowledge and content from the U.K.’s No. 1 bookseller, combined with Amazon.co.uk’s expertise in online operations, quality of fulfillment and after-sales support,” said Peter Mitchell, business development director for Waterstone’s.

This is not the first time Amazon has taken over fulfillment for competitors. Its e-commerce platform now powers Borders, and it has a similar arrangement with Toys R Us.