Waterstones

History of Waterstones

Over 30 years ago, Tim Waterstone saw an opportunity for a new kind of bookstore. He believed that introducing consumers to new, sophisticated stock would generate sales. The first Waterstones store, located in Old Brompton Road, London, started the company on their successful path. Today, Waterstones is one of the largest booksellers in the UK.

Waterstones opened its first store in the UK in 1982, and now has nearly 300 stores nationwide. They also have stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. The brand employs over 4,500 staff, all of whom are dedicated to helping their customers find the book they want. Waterstones.com is now available as for shopping online in the UK, alongside waterstonesmarketplace.com, offering all new, used, and out-of-print books to private and business customers and collectors alike.

Waterstones has always strived to be the leading bookseller. The brand's mission remains as to provide their customers with the widest choice and expert advice, at great value. The brand is continually aiming to engage people in books and excite their customers in all things literature.

Waterstones is a founding partner of the Booktrust Children's Reading Fund, a charity specifically targeting children between the ages of 4-11, to help improve the life chances of disadvantaged children in the UK. Established in 2013, Waterstones has already raised over £75,000 for the charity, and has further pledged to donate 20% of all charity card sales over Christmas 2014, to reach its yearly pledge of £200,000. Waterstones also sells the Book Bus's bags-for-life through their stores, raising funds to help teach children in Zambia, Malawi, Ecuador and India to read.

Brands

Waterstones offer a broad range of historical and modern literature, both in-store and online, including the following authors:

• Lynda Bellingham
• Lewis Carroll
• Agatha Christie
• Nick Hornby
• Jeff Kinney
• Guy Martin
• Jamie Oliver
• William Shakespeare
• Zoe Sugg
• Dylan Thomas

• Mark Twain
• Jules Verne
• David Walliams

Departments

You will find a book on almost any subject at Waterstones, as they offer literature on a variety of subjects, including:

• Art
• Biography
• Business
• Fashion
• Fiction
• Food & Drink
• Health & Lifestyle
• Language
• Law
• Music

• Photography
• Poetry
• Science
• Sports
• Stage & Screen
• Travel

Waterstones.com also has weekly sales, so make sure you check their €˜offers' tab for extra savings, deals, discounts and promotions! If you aren't too fussed about buying a brand new copy, their Market Place (waterstonesmarketplace.com), may be able to offer you a heavily discounted version, in a used, but still usable condition, so it may be worth checking here first before shopping in-store for an extra discount or saving.

Opening Times

Waterstones provide their customers with different ways to shop. The brand has nearly 300 stores nationwide. Store opening times differ from store to store; however, they are generally open at the following times:

Larger stores in larger cities may have extended opening hours. The brand regularly has special events, such as book signings, and these may also affect opening hours.

Waterstones' website is available all year round, and also has a mobile optimised version of their website. The brand also has a Smartphone app, to assist you with your shopping. You can also €˜click & collect', if you would prefer to pick the item up from your nearby store, instead of home delivery.

Waterstones also offers a loyalty card, where for every £1 you spend in-store or online you could receive up to 3 loyalty points. You can use your loyalty points as a part-payment voucher on your next purchase. If you are thinking of repeat purchases, be sure to sign up to receive more discounts, savings and promotions.

Delivery Information

Waterstones offer free delivery, for all orders over £10, to mainland UK. You can expect to receive your order via this method within 2-4 days for first class delivery. If your order is below £10, postage rates are calculated during checkout. All ‘click & collect' orders offer free delivery to your chosen store, so it may be worthwhile buying online, and collecting in-store for extra savings.

Returns Policy

If for any reason you're not satisfied with your purchase, you may return any unwanted items, free of charge, provided that they are in perfect condition, using the pre-paid returns label included in your order. A charge may be incurred if this is not the case. For any faulty or incorrectly delivered items, you can contact the Waterstones customer service team on 0808 118 8787 for further instructions.

Security & Reviews

Waterstones.com uses Secure Socket Layers (SSL) encryption, ensuring all personal details provided by customers cannot be decrypted during transmission on their website. Trustpilot reviews are poor; however, most negative comments relate to specific problems regarding shipping or receiving an item, and not to unauthorised access.