Book vending venture launched

A new company will begin selling discounted popular paperbacks from vending machines in UK airports, railway stations, hotels and hospitals this summer.

Booktech will plug in its first vending machines, which use the brand name "BookCellar", in June. It hopes to have 1,000 in operation within its first year, and to have 9,000 machines within four years.

Allistair Mitchell, managing director, said the machines would feature touch-sensitive screens and would accept cash as well as credit and debit cards.

Editorial content would also be provided along with audiovisual clips. "We are going to be having critical reviews by an inhouse team and film clips where appropriate. Publishers will also be invited to support their books through the machines," he said.

He would not divulge what level of discounts the books were likely to be sold at, but said that they would be "competitively priced".

The company is estimated to have spent £200,000 on start-up costs for the venture.