They can then order the book for instant collection from a local store, or have it speedily delivered. The company is also preparing to open the platform up to third parties, such as book review websites, as well as developers. Photograph: Ink@84In central London, Andy Barr at Belgravia Books, which has already fulfilled orders through NearSt, calls it “genius – kind of like Amazon without Amazon”. So far, response from shoppers and shops to the service has been great, says Brackenbury. The platform takes 6% of the final sale price of the book, with no set-up or monthly fees for stores to join.

Source: The Guardian July 14, 2016 13:30 UTC