Barnes & Noble, the US firm behind the Nook e-reader, is pulling out of the UK just four years after they first launched their range here.
The Nook’s built-in store, Android app and website will all close on 15 March after which content already paid for will be serviced by Sainsbury’s which has agreed to take on the US firm’s customers.
In an email to customers, Barnes & Noble said: “We thank you for your patronage and are working closely with Sainsbury’s to make this transition as smooth as possible”.
Launched in the UK in late 2012, the Nook entered what was already a crowded market with digital readers already familiar with Amazon’s market-leading Kindle, rivals Kobo and Apple’s iBooks service.
Despite a number of tie-ups with established brands, including the Evening Standard newspaper, Nook struggled for custom and marketshare.