WASHINGTON — Online U.S. retail behemoth Amazon is embarking on a "massive" expansion in the Russian books market and has already begun signing contracts with Russia's largest publishing houses, a publishing industry website has reported.
The Seattle-based firm has already signed an agreement with Rosman, one of Russia's biggest publishers of children's titles, for 100 to 150 e-books a year, although that number is expected to double by the end of the year, Publishing Perspectives said.
Amazon's Russia operation is being headed by Arkady Vitruk, the former head of Russian publishing giant Azbuka-Atticus, the article said, following a report earlier this year that Vitruk was in talks on the job.
Sales in the online retail sector in Russia is booming and are expected to reach or exceed $50 billion by the end of the decade.
(RIA Novosti)
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