View Single Post
Old 10-04-2012, 01:58 PM   #7
judyz
Enthusiast
judyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watchjudyz is clearly one to watch
 
Posts: 36
Karma: 10638
Join Date: Dec 2010
Device: Kobo Wifi, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-950
I would be careful about cases. I have been looking tirelessly for one. The stores keep telling me to just buy a touch case but the Glo is slightly smaller than the touch so I suspect the case wont hold it as securely as I would like. I have yet to see a Sleep Cover in any store (I have checked daily). As of yesterday our Chapters in town just finally got the Glo instock but nobody has the cases (Walmart, Chapters, Best Buy).

It seems like Kobo and it's partners have flubbed this launch. I worked at different levels of retail for years. You never launch a device in such a ridiculous patchy pattern as this. Normally they are all shipped in advance with a "street date" for sale. You certainly don't give up all the high margin case and accessory sales to the knock offs by not getting those to stores with the devices.

I realize that Kobo is still working to build relationships with it's partners but they should have managed this better. How many customers have walked out of stores now with $20-$40 cases made by knock off companies because Kobo's official cases are missing in action? These are almost pure profit. It is quite likely that Kobo makes more money off the sale of a sleep cover than it does off the Glo device itself.

Not having a street date has also completely annoyed and confused preorder customers. People are sitting wondering when their devices will arrive and many preorder customers are finding that their friends were able to get their devices earlier by walking into another store.

What is especially troubling is that Chapters who had been Kobo's biggest partner in Canada seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. Chapters customers are book readers who will buy books and Chapters provides a large space just for Kobo. It boggles the mind that Best Buy would end up being first to market by days.
judyz is offline   Reply With Quote