Indie booksellers personalise recommendations with new app

In the US, a new app gives independent booksellers a way to make personalised book recommendations to customers with their iPhones and iPads, reports Publishers Weekly. The Handseller app has been developed by the Eagle Harbor Book Company in Washington State, and the store will be the first to implement the app next week. Up to five bookstores are expected to follow soon through a subscription service. The mobile app integrates with a store’s ecommerce site, so customers can create wish lists, place books on hold and purchase books from their mobile device. The participating bookstore’s banner appears at the top of the customer’s screen. Recommendations are weighted toward books that are in stock at the store and have received good reviews from other sellers, while staff can also post recommendations. Customers can also use the app to scan a book and ask for recommendations for similar titles. The app is available on iTunes and will be available for Android soon.

Category: International news