The first Barnes & Noble e-reader devices to be launched in the UK include the NOOK Simple Touch and NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, which includes an adjustable light for reading in the dark.

Barnes & Noble, one of the world’s largest booksellers, is to launch its own online storefront in the UK in the autumn, where customers will also be able to buy NOOK devices and content.

The company said that further details on pricing and an official UK launch date for the NOOK would be confirmed in the autumn.

Barnes & Noble’s president of digital products Jamie Iannone said the company was "excited" to be working with the UK retailers.

He called Argos "a brand build on choice and convenience" which, with 90% of the population living within 10 miles of an Argos store, would "literally bring the NOOK experience close to home for millions of UK consumers".

Blackwell's he praised for its reputation on its "wide selection of titles", along with "extremely knowledgeable staff" and its "dedication to the education space" while he described Foyles as a "trusted name" which is London's largest independent bookshop chain.

Iannone described John Lewis, which was the UK first retailer to partner with the US bookseller, as where "knowledgeable customers turn for trusted advice on the best products to purchase".

John Lewis director of buying for electricals and home technology Ed Connolly said the company was "thrilled" to be the first UK retailer to sell the Nook devices.

"We think our customers will love NOOK’s adaptability thanks to its E-Ink display and unique built-in GlowLight, which is perfect for day or night time reading," he added.

Foyles chief executive Sam Husain said: "The NOOK was born in and developed by a bookshop, so it is the ideal digital reading device to be sold by one.

"Foyles is always looking for new ways to recommend books to our customers and with NOOK our booksllers now have superb hardware at hand to do so."

Barnes & Noble’s digital catalogue includes more than 2.5m titles including books, newspapers, magazines, comics and NOOK apps.

UK bookseller Waterstones, which is to launch its own e-reading device, announced in May that it will sell Amazon's Kindle devices in its stores and offer wi-fi to its customers so that they can browse print books and buy e-books at the same time.