LEADING INTERNET BOOKSELLER AMAZON.COM ACQUIRES U.K.-BASED INTERNET BOOKSTORE BOOKPAGES LTD.

Seattle - Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), has announced that it has acquired Bookpages, Ltd.(www.bookpages.co.uk), a leading Internet bookstore based in the United Kingdom. Amazon.com expects Bookpages to become a fundamental component of its expansion into the United Kingdom and European markets.

"The Bookpages acquisition will enable Amazon.com to quickly offer United Kingdom and European consumers the same combination of selection, service, and value that we now provide our U.S. customers," said Jeffrey P. Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "I'm excited about Bookpages because of its focus on customer service, its unwavering commitment to Internet commerce, and its smart, innovative management team."

Bookpages Managing Director Dr. Simon Murdoch said of the acquisition, "This is fantastic news for Bookpages and its customers. By combining Amazon.com's resources with Bookpages' in-depth knowledge of the U.K. marketplace, we can provide even better service and selection to our customers inside and outside of the United Kingdom."

Bookpages is one of the largest online bookstores in the United Kingdom, providing access to all 1.2 million U.K. books in print to customers around the world. Bookpages' visitors can take advantage of special book features and search an impressively fast database to find any book they are looking for. Focusing on its commitment to customer service, Bookpages also offers additional features. These include the Bookpoints customer loyalty scheme, which results in discounts for regular customers; the Wrapido gift-wrapping service; and specific monthly features dedicated to certain hobbies or interests, all helping customers get the best experience out of using the Internet.

Amazon.com, Inc., Earth's Biggest Bookstore, is the largest online retailer of books. Amazon.com offers a catalog of more than 3 million book, music, and other titles, plus easy-to-use search and browse features, e-mail services, personalised shopping services, secure Web-based credit card payment, and direct shipping to customers. Amazon.com has virtually unlimited online shelf space and offers customers a vast selection through an efficient search-and-retrieval interface, as well as streamlined ordering through 1-Click(SM) technology. Amazon.com pioneered the concept of syndicated selling on the Internet and has more than 40,000 members in its Associates Program including AOL.com, Yahoo!, Netscape, Excite, the AltaVista Search Service, the @Home Network, the Prodigy Shopping Network, and iVillage.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's limited operating history, the unpredictability of its future revenues, and risks associated with capacity constraints, management of growth, and new business opportunities. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

NOTE: Amazon.com, Earth's Biggest Bookstore, and 1-Click are service marks of Amazon.com, Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Amazon.com