Press Release: Rakuten Kobo and Fnac Partner to Lead the Digital Book Industry in Spain

MADRID — November 24, 2016 – Rakuten Kobo, leading innovator in ebooksand digital reading, today announced it has partnered with Fnac, beloved retailer of cultural, entertainment and technology products, to bring Kobo’s world-class ereading platform and devices to Spanish readers. Customers now have access to the Kobo by Fnac service at www.fnac.es and in-store at Fnac locations, where they can learn more about Kobo through demonstrations by knowledgeable staff members.

Kobo by Fnac offers a localized eBookstore built for the Spanish reader, offering the best Spanish, Catalan, Basque, and Galician language eBooks, within a global catalog of 5 million ebooks across more than 100 languages, which include titles such as Todo esto te daré by Dolores Redondo, Falcó by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, El laberinto de los espíritus by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Rezar por Miguel Ángel by Christian Gálvez, and Harry Potter y el legado maldito by J.K. Rowling. Readers can explore a diverse selection of bestsellers, curated recommendations, best-of-the-month, and seasonal suggestions. Through the Kobo by Fnac platform, customers receive tailored recommendations based on their reading preferences – which means the best possible reading experience created just for them.

Marcos Ruão, General Director of Fnac Spain, says: "We look forward to working closely with Kobo to further grow the eBook industry in Spain. Through our combined experience, we will expand on the book offering for Spanish readers, and with this, take a big step forward in our commitment to celebrating our country’s arts and literary culture.”

In addition, Kobo’s award-winning ereading devices are available both in-store at Fnac and online at www.fnac.es. Customers have a variety of options to choose from: the waterproof Kobo Aura H2O for 179,90€; the Kobo Aura 2 for 119,90€, or the new premium large-screen Kobo Aura ONE for 299,99€. For those wanting to read on devices they already own, the free Kobo ereading app allows customers to access and read their ebooks anywhere, anytime, on any iOS or Android device.

“We have enjoyed great success with Fnac in France and Portugal over the past few years, and are pleased to be expanding and welcoming Fnac Spain to the partnership. Spain is an important market for us, and together with Fnac, we will continue to spread the love of reading to booklovers across the country,” said Jean-Marc Dupuis, Managing Director, Europe, Rakuten Kobo.

More about Kobo ereaders

Kobo Aura – Discover a simple and natural ereading experience
Get lost in your story on the 6” Carta E Ink touchscreen that’s lightweight and comfortable to hold for hours of reading. With a print-on-paper look, booklovers can read in direct sunlight without glare; and with the built-in, adjustable ComfortLight, can read late into the night with minimal eyestrain. The Kobo eBookstore gives access to millions of ebooksand the Kobo Aura lets readers store up to 3,000 eBooks. Discovery is easy with personalized recommendations based on individual reading habits.

Kobo Aura H2O – Perfect for the bath or beach – waterproof, anti-glare, dustproof
The Kobo Aura H2O is IP67 certified, which means it is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in 1 metre of water with the port cover closed. This enables people to read more, more often, anywhere they like worry-free without damaging their device if accidently dropped in or splashed with water. Reading on a sun-drenched beach is also encouraged, due to the device’s dustproof design and anti-glare display. At 265 ppi, the spacious 6.8” touchscreen with Carta E Ink technology showcases text and high-resolution images beautifully.

Kobo Aura ONE – An ereader unlike any other
Those who like the size of a hardcover book with spacious pages will enjoy reading on the 7.8” Carta E Ink touchscreen, with 300 ppi for print-quality resolution. By reducing blue light exposure, the enhanced front-light technology lets people enjoy nighttime reading without impacting their sleep. Sink into a good read while in the bath or take it poolside without worry; Kobo Aura ONE has HZO Protection™ making it waterproof for reading in places where other devices might not survive. TypeGenius offers customizable font options, which include exclusive weight and sharpness settings, with the choice of 50 font sizes and 11 font types. With 8GB of storage, Kobo Aura ONE stores up to 6,000 eBooks. What’s more, the device’s battery life of up to one month allows booklovers to enjoy a full book before needing a charge.

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the world’s most innovative ereading services offering more than 5 million ebooksand magazines to millions of customers in 190 countries.  Believing that consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device, Kobo provides consumers with a choice when reading. Kobo offers an ereader for everyone with a wide variety of E Ink eReaders to suit any Reader’s style including Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Aura and Kobo Aura ONE. Along with the company’s free top-ranking ereading apps for Apple®, BlackBerry®, Android®, and Windows®, Kobo ensures the next great read is just a page-turn away. Headquartered in Toronto and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten, Kobo eReaders can be found in major retail chains around the world. For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

About Fnac
Fnac is the leading distributor of technical and cultural products in Europe and is a unique example of the merger between retail, Culture and Technology. Founded in 1954 in France, it has a network of 199 stores (*) distributed in nine countries (France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, Brazil, Qatar and Ivory Coast). In 2015 it reached a turnover of 3,876 Million Euros and has 14,100 employees. (* figure from 2015) Fnac Spain has 30 stores plus the web, www.fnac.es. It is present in Madrid (with 6 stores), Barcelona (5), Zaragoza (2), Valencia (2), A Coruña, Alicante, Asturias, Bilbao (2), Malaga, Marbella, Murcia, San Sebastián, Sevilla, Valladolid, Pamplona, Girona and Pamplona. In addition, it has a store in the Principality of Andorra.