Tower Records opens online bookstore

Tower Records announced Wednesday that it has added a bookstore to its online business. The move is part of an expansion that has seen the music retail giant add MP3 players to its shelves, introduce video games and start its own podcasting network, in addition to opening new physical stores.

To promote the launch, Tower is offering customers credit toward a future orders if they buy a book, the amount depending on the size of the purchase. Like the music store, the bookstore has free shipping on orders of $20 or more. That compares with Amazon.com, which also hosts Borders Books and Music, and with Target, which provide free shipping only on orders over $25.