Waterstone's to open in small towns

The bookseller Waterstone's yesterday announced plans to open 50 small stores in towns across the country, creating up to 400 new jobs and giving the chain the United Kingdom's biggest branch network.

Towns from Altrincham and Bury St Edmunds, to Ayr and Yeovil will see the new 2,500 sq ft shops, which will carry a full range of titles. Alan Giles, Waterstone's managing director, said: "I am very confident that this major new initiative will transform the quality of bookselling in smaller towns, in the same way that Waterstone's has successfully opened in larger towns and cities throughout Britain and Ireland."