THIS WEEK:EASONS WILL CLOSE its store on Dublin's Talbot Street today, as part of a €5 million cost-savings programme that will involve about 150 voluntary redundancies.

The bookseller has been battling the twin challenges of a tough retail market combined with falling demand for books. According to the Central Statistics Office, the retail market for books, stationery and newspapers fell by 12.5 per cent in 2011.

For Easons, however, it may be hoping that its recent move into selling e-readers, matched by an online portal for e-books, will help it weather the storm. According to the retailer, it is also considering launching its own e-reader, to rival those of other booksellers such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes Noble’s Nook.

And while Irish publishers have been slow to jump on the e-book bandwagon compared with their international counterparts, they are now coming around. This could help Easons boost its online sales. Gill MacMillan, for example, has lately hopped on board.