SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 28, 2013--
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has reached an
agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book
recommendations that helps people find and share books they love.
“Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said
Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has
helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon
has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and
Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and
make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many
new ways to delight readers and authors alike.”
“Books – and the stories and ideas captured inside them – are part of
our social fabric,” said Otis Chandler, Goodreads CEO and co-founder.
“People love to talk about ideas and share their passion for the stories
they read. I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with
Amazon and Kindle. We’re now going to be able to move faster in bringing
the Goodreads experience to millions of readers around the world. We’re
looking forward to inspiring greater literary discussion and helping
more readers find great books, whether they read in print or digitally.”
“I just found out my two favorite people are getting married,” said Hugh
Howey, best-selling author of WOOL. “The best place to discuss
books is joining up with the best place to buy books – To Be Read piles
everywhere must be groaning in anticipation.”
Following the acquisition, Goodreads’s headquarters will remain in San
Francisco, CA. Founded in 2007, Goodreads now has more than 16 million
members and there are more than 30,000 books clubs on the Goodreads
site. Over just the past 90 days, Goodreads members have added more than
four books per second to the “want to read” shelves on Goodreads.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Subject to various closing
conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter
of 2013.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle,
opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s
Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything
they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the
lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of
unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books;
Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home
& Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health &
Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web
Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to
in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end
technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any
type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever
constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented
built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long
battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation
Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved
fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom
high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo
speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support,
dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough
storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics
engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The
large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and
comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The
all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster
performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com,
www.amazon.co.uk,
www.amazon.de,
www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.ca,
www.amazon.cn,
www.amazon.it,
www.amazon.es
and www.amazon.com.br.
As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include
Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates
otherwise.
About Goodreads
Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book
recommendations. Founded in 2007, Goodreads is where readers find and
share books they love. The site has 16 million members who have added
more than 530 million books to their shelves and written more than 23
million reviews. Loved by avid and casual readers alike, Goodreads
members can discover new books by seeing what their friends are reading
or by using the Goodreads Book Recommendation Engine; share ratings and
recommendations; track what they have read, and list what they want to
read. Goodreads is also a place where more than 68,000 authors connect
with readers. For more information, visit http://www.goodreads.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly
from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to
competition, management of growth, new products, services and
technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international
expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and
data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements,
acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system
interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments
and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Source: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com
Public Relations Media Line, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
or
Goodreads
Media
Relations, 415-857-1606
press@goodreads.com
