Money Matters, Simplified.
Kindle to be available at Target stores
by Jamie Anderson - June 3, 2010 - comments
U.S. retail giant Target announced it will begin selling Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader next week at stores across the United States.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is just a few days away from fulfilling its promise of selling Kindle, its radical wireless reading device, at a brick-and-mortar set up.
Given the intense, and ever increasing, competition from other e-readers, like the Apple iPad and Sony Reader, a robust distribution channel for Kindle was the need of the hour.
Intense competition
Kindle’s competitors, iPad, which is prominently exhibited at the Apple Store, and the Nook, which is displayed at Barnes & Noble, already have a physical presence.
“We are thrilled to bring guests nationwide this incredibly light, portable, easy-to-read product that allows them to get all the news and books they want.” -- Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president
Mike Shatzkin, chief executive of Idea Logical, opines that the increasing popularity of rivals was making Amazon feel vulnerable.
“They’re trying to spread their wings and reach people they haven’t reached through Amazon. Once Kindle started, they pretty much were alone. And in the last three to six months, that’s changing,” Shatzkin said of the changing market shares.
Amazon, in connivance with Target, has done just what the doctor ordered for Kindle; presence at a physical store, a first in the history of the device that comfortably fits into one hand for hours.
Successful test launch
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation announced that the popular gadget would be available in all of its stores beginning Sunday June 6. Target has 1,740 stores in 49 states nationwide.
"Our guest's response to Kindle has been overwhelmingly positive," Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president, said of the test run at 104 stores.
“We are thrilled to bring guests nationwide this incredibly light, portable, easy-to-read product that allows them to get all the news and books they want,” Schindele added.
Kindle would be available at the same price of $259 at all the Target stores. It is the same price that online retailing behemoth Amazon.com charges if one was to shop online.
At present, Kindle, which downloads books, magazines, newspapers etc. to a high resolution electronic paper display that is akin to a real paper, is listed as the top-selling product amongst the products in Amazon's electronics repertoire.