Booksellers on Oxford Street are gearing up to fight ever more fiercely for market share.
Waterstone's has written a new marketing chapter, with the launch of a£100,000 campaign to promote its latest Oxford Street superstore.
And rival books specialist Borders has given its Oxford Street store a fresh look to mark its sixth year of trading.
Waterstone's ads, including cross-track and escalator advertising at Oxford Circus and Bond Street Tube stations, aim to attract shoppers ahead of the official opening this month.
Passages from eight popular novels, poetry and non-fiction books, all mentioning Oxford Street, feature in the ads. Among them are Victoria Beckham's account of turning on the Christmas lights, from her autobiography Learning To Fly, and Peter Ackroyd's description of the street from his London biography.
A Waterstone's spokeswoman said: 'Oxford Street is a Mecca for shoppers and we are really excited about this campaign. We are targeting mainstream customers, particularly families, because a large part of the new store will be aimed at children.'
The Oxford Street shop is in the 41,445 sq ft (3,850 sq m) unit previously occupied by Tesco.
Borders' has also been refurbished its Glasgow store as part of a£30 million development programme.
Borders UK managing director Philip Downer said: 'Two of the busiest and best bookstores in the world are now as good as new.' Extra tills, information desks and seating have been provided.
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