Amazon makes push for greater online book offerings

Ecommerce giant Amazon recently announced the purchase of the U.K.'s largest online book company the Book Depository International, which offers more than 6 million titles worldwide.

"Customers in more than 100 countries enjoy the Book Depository’s vast selection, convenient delivery and free shipping," said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s vice president of European Retail. "The Book Depository is very focused on serving its customers around the world, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Amazon family."

According to a Mashable report, the Book Depository has more than 1 million customers and is the fastest-growing bookseller in Europe. The website currently has more than 200,000 titles for download, as well as traditional paper books

As Amazon plans to position itself for greater online payment gateway offerings by acquiring the U.K.'s largest online book website, the U.K. ecommerce market is expected to face significant fraud issues. According to a recent study conducted by PayPoint.net for the Centre for Economic and Business Research, criminals are projected to cost the U.K. economy approximately £30 million by 2015.