Amazon to close popular book retailer in weeks – and customers are heartbroken

AMAZON will close a popular book retailer within weeks and customers are heartbroken.

The UK-based online store Book Depository will shut forever on Wednesday, April 26.

GettyAmazon is closing Book Depository at the end of the month[/caption]

A message on the brand’s website reads: “We are sorry to let you know that Book Depository will be closing on April 26 2023.

“You can still place orders until midday (12pm BST) on 26 April 2023 and we will continue to deliver your purchases and provide support for any order issues until 23 June 2023.

“From all of us at Book Depository we want to say “thank you”. Delivering your favourite reads to you since 2007 has been a pleasure.”

Thousands of customers who regularly use the site owned by Amazon have reacted to the news on social media.

New Zealand-based author and poet Lang Leav posted on Twitter and said: “Sad to hear the news. A huge loss for all of us.”

“A lot of you aren’t aware of how bad this really is.

“Many out there relied on Book Depository to get their books at reasonable prices.

“It’s truly a sad day for the international book crowd,” said another fan on Twitter.

Book Depository was founded in 2004 and was bought by the online retail giant Amazon in 2011.

The online store offers readers over 20million books and free delivery on orders worldwide.

The firm has offices in London, Gloucester, Madrid, Cape Town and Chennai, and ships thousands of books every day from fulfilment centres in UK, and Australia, to more than 120 countries across the world.

Alternatives to Book Depository include Better World Books, World of Books and Thrift Books.

It comes as Amazon said it will cut another 9,000 jobs across its global business in “the next few weeks”.

Andy Jassy, chief executive of the technology giant, told staff that the move will reduce jobs in its web services, advertising, PXT solutions division and its Twitch live streaming arm.

In a letter to staff in late March, he said: “As we’ve just concluded the second phase of our operating plan this past week, I’m writing to share that we intend to eliminate about 9,000 more positions in the next few weeks – mostly in AWS, PXT, Advertising, and Twitch.

“This was a difficult decision, but one that we think is best for the company long term.

“To those ultimately impacted by these reductions, I want to thank you for the work you have done on behalf of customers and the company.

“It’s never easy to say goodbye to our teammates, and you will be missed.”

AWS is Amazon web services, which offers tech support like hosting to other websites.

Twitch is a gaming platform and PTX is Amazon’s internal HR technology.

Amazon employs around 1.5million people globally and more than 50,000 in the UK.

The e-commerce giant is also closing three warehouses in the UK in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster and Gourock.

Meanwhile, seven delivery centres are set to close too, including in BirminghamNewcastle and Portsmouth.

The three warehouse and seven delivery centre closures put 1,200 jobs at risk.

Two new delivery centres are set to open though, in Havant and Aylesford.

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