Waterstones are pretty much the same as they are everywhere else; they stock the same range of bestselling fiction and non-fiction, cards, stationery, adult colouring books, etc. that you might find in a large WH Smith’s. The lay-out is the same as every other medium-sized Waterstones, and the prices are usually higher than those of an online shop, as you might expect given that Waterstones has a fair amount of real estate to pay for, compared to the online shops. The main appeal, however, lies in being able to get your hands on a book immediately, making this an ideal place for those of us who lack the foresight to plan ahead in terms of birthday gifts, secret Santa presents and farewell gifts. The staff are generally friendly; the lady who served me today had a friendly word for all of us customers, which is what’s needed to make a chain stand out. I’d give 3.5 stars but as half-stars aren’t permitted, I’m rounding up.
Natalie P.
Classificação do local: 3 London, United Kingdom
I really like Waterstones — as I’m a complete bookworm — though I’m not as keen on them since they did away with their 3 for 2 offer(bad move considering you can get books cheaper anyway on Amazon!) and also I can never work out whether I like this store or not. The store feels kind of souless and lacking character and life. As if other branches you can find lots of staff recommendations and ones relating to the locality and I’m sure if you’re working /visiting Canary Wharf and are in desperate need of a book(and for whatever reason don’t have access to the Internet!), then you’ll probably get what you want here, however the stock isn’t as large as other branches. Close and convenient for the DLR and Jubilee line.
Duncan W.
Classificação do local: 2 Hong Kong
It is very difficult to love Waterstones(Waterstone’s is no more — the apostrophe has been ditched). It feels very much book shop by numbers with largely the same stock whether you visit it in Canary Wharf, Nottingham or Inverness. This is fine if you know what you want. However, if you are looking for advice, inspiration or individuality, Waterstones is not a good fit. This branch tries to provide some kind of local focus with a book club and staff recommendations. However, none of this works and this Waterstones feels just as anonymous and just as corporate as all the others. If you know what book you are buying and it is urgent(i.e. an internet purchase is out of the question), this shop might fit the bill. However, in all other circumstances, look elsewhere.