The Brazilian retailer Magazine Luiza announced that it will start selling physical books online for pickup at its network of nearly 1,000 stores, leveraging
its national presence to compete with traditional booksellers and Amazon.com Inc.
This move highlights Magazine Luiza’s eagerness to pose a direct challenge to the online retailer Amazon, which began operations in Brazil in 2012 with e-book sales, followed by physical books two years later.
Brazil’s more established bookstores are facing financial headwinds, leading Saraiva Livreiros SA and Livraria Cultura to seek bankruptcy protection last year.
“The goal is to make Magalu a reference in this segment,” said Eduardo Galanternick, executive director of e-commerce at Magazine Luiza, in a press release. Three hundred of the retailer’s 954 stores are located in Brazilian cities without any bookstore, he added.


