Waterstones, formerly known as “Waterstone’s” is a British book retailer that was established by Tim Waterstone in 1982. The company operates 275 stores in the United Kingdom and employs over 3,500 staff in the UK and Europe. The company was started in 1982 and within the next ten years quickly grew and expanded until it was sold to W H Smith in 1993. After several unsuccessful sales and mergers with other companies, Waterstones was bought by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut owner of A&NN Capital Fund Management.
Waterstones has high street and academic stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe. Some of the company’s stores are located historical buildings or building of architectural interest. The company’s flagship store on Piccadilly is the largest Waterstones store and is also believed to be the largest bookstore in Europe. The main academic branch of Waterstones is located on Gower Street, between the University of London Union and University College London. This store is also believed to be the biggest academic store in Europe.
