Waterstone's Bookstore mission is to be the leading bookseller on the UK high-street and online providing customers the widest choice of books, great value and expert advice from a team passionate about bookselling. Waterstone's aims to interest and excite its customers and continually inspire people to read and engage in books.

Now part of HMV Group, Waterstone's Bookstore first opened in Old Brompton Road, London, in 1982 and currently trades from more than 300 stores, on high-streets and in shopping centres, and through numerous university campuses in the UK, Republic of Ireland and continental Europe, as well as on the Isle of Man, Jersey and the Isle of Wight.

• EmpireStores • Oxendales, UK • Laura Ashley Online Store, UK

No two Waterstone's bookshops are the same. Sophisticated stock management systems ensure that each Waterstone's Bookstore has its own unique range profile and space at the front of store to promote a choice of books picked by that branch. Waterstone's Bookstore reputation is built upon the knowledge and enthusiasm of their 4,500 booksellers. Waterstone's booksellers love great books and are dedicated to finding the titles that customers want.

Waterstone's Bookstore strives to create places where people who are interested in books can go to browse, a place that encourages new readers to expand horizons and that is home to booksellers that are passionate about the books that they sell.

An average sized Waterstone's Bookstore merchandises a range of around 30,000 individual books, with 200,000 titles in the largest store. With over one million books in print, and around 120,000 new consumer titles published every year, the expert recommendations and advice of the company's booksellers are key ingredients in its success.