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Big W takes on iTunes and Amazon with e-book offering

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By Steven Raeburn, N/A

September 30, 2013 | 2 min read

Retail chain Big W has launched its own electronic bookstore business focusing on Australian content in a bid to offer "a bit of homegrown competition to the likes of iTunes and Amazon".

The bargain retailer is taking on giants iTunes and Amazon

Launching the site, which opens with a library of 300,000 titles, Big W said it would offer "hundreds of titles each month for as little as 99c or free", aiming to provide "books Australians love including Australian fiction".

"We're catering here for people who love printed books but also those who are moving into e-books," Big W said.

Scott White, BIG W Head of Books, said:"The eBooks market in Australia is dominated by overseas based companies focused on overseas customers. BIG W eBooks is different - we are an Australian retailer with a focus on the books Australians love, with downloads at Australia's lowest prices.

"The attractiveness of some eBooks is likely to be down to a cringe factor, with more than one-in-ten people admitting they download books because they are more discreet to read than their printed equivalents.

"Many Australians could be forgiven for thinking they were locked into just one provider when downloading their eBook, but that's not the case and they could be spending more than they have to. At BIG W we offer low cost downloads on almost any device and across a massive range of titles from romance to Australian fiction, autobiographies to thrillers," said White.

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