Apparently the bookselling behemoth Waterstones has tried to pull a fast one on the British book buying public. Without notice the retailer opened three small branches under bogus names—The Rye Bookshop in East Sussex, Southwold Books in Suffolk, and Harpenden Books in Herfordshire. The bookstore giant denies any deceitful intent in launching these unbranded outlets. The chain has issued statements claiming that the plan is simply to bring bookshops back to small towns.

What’s your take on this scheme? Does branding have any impact on your book buying habits?