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Originally Posted by ZodWallop
Yes. There's no indication that the Clara has been discontinued.
As the thread in the news section indicates, Kobo is having supply issues due to Coronavirus.
Kobo used to be sold at Borders until they went belly up. After that, Kobo essentially withdrew from the US market.
Walmart thought they could compete with Amazon by selling Kobos and setting up their own ebookstore. Unfortunately, it appears that Walmart maybe didn't stand behind its commitment. Their efforts seem to be half-hearted.
As mentioned, Walmart never seemed as committed as they needed to be. They were always running out of the various models of Kobos at the best of times. Usually they would restock quickly. Since the outbreak, things are just worse.
For what it's worth, I ordered my Clara from Walmart. The order was placed on a Tuesday with guaranteed delivery of Thursday. I got it Wednesday instead.
I have a low opinion of Walmart in general, but my experience ordering a Kobo from them was painless and I'd do it again. Right now is just a bad time.
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Thanks for the comments. Reading through that News section thread was informative. Walmart vs. Amazon. That may be one of the few battles where I'm more inclined to pick Amazon.
Too bad things haven't gone well for Kobo in the US. Enough vendors carry multiple brands of electronics that it's sort of strange to me that none carry Kobo products. But there are obviously things going on between those vendors, Kobo, and Amazon that I'm not privy to.
Not knowing when I might see the Clara HD I ordered, I'm starting to consider a Libra H2O or just wait a few weeks and for an Onyx Boox Poke 2 if they're available again by then. The latter's disappearance is probably for similar reasons as that of the Kobo devices at Walmart. I could order the Libra today from Kobo or Indigo, though it would probably be close to a couple of weeks before it shows up. By then, the Libra's arrival at Walmart would be imminent. But no sale price like with my Clara order and avoiding Walmart makes the Canadian approach more appealing, even with the hassles of a potential return.