An integration that could connect independent bookstores with millions of eReader users is back on the table. Bookshop.org, the online bookseller that funnels profits to local indie shops, has confirmed it is moving ahead with plans to support Kobo devices, after months of uncertainty about whether the partnership would ever materialize.
Founder and CEO Andy Hunter told TechCrunch that business terms have been settled with Kobo parent company Rakuten, and engineering resources are now being allocated to the project. The company had previously promised the feature for 2025, then delayed it to 2026, and at one point changed the wording on its website to “sometime in the future,” raising fears the project had been shelved entirely.
The hold-up, Hunter explained, involved both negotiating business terms and clearing publisher requirements around digital rights management. Bookshop.org’s engineering team had also been focused on improving its mobile app, which launched about 15 months ago. With those priorities addressed, the team can now turn attention back to Kobo support, though no specific launch date has been set.
Kobo claims roughly 12 million users across 190 countries, making it the most prominent alternative to Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem. For readers who want to buy ebooks while supporting local bookstores, Kobo has long been the recommended device — a reputation that has sometimes been more aspirational than accurate, as the actual ability to buy indie ebooks through Kobo varies wildly by region and bookstore.
Bookshop.org already sells ebooks through its iOS and Android app, but the lack of direct Kobo compatibility has been a gap for readers who prefer dedicated eInk devices over phone or tablet screens. The company says the integration will let Kobo users buy ebooks through Bookshop.org’s independent bookstore network and have them delivered directly to their device.
For now, Kobo owners who want to bypass Amazon can still load DRM-free books from various sources, borrow library titles through Overdrive, or use independent ebook stores like ebooks.com. But a seamless Bookshop.org connection could meaningfully shift buying habits toward local bookstores at a time when indie retailers are fighting for every sale.
Source: TechCrunch
