WHSmiths in the UK

chrisridd · 09-25-2016, 06:25 AM

I popped in to the WHSmith in Kingston upon Thames yesterday, hoping to get some hands on with a KA1, but the entire Kobo store-in-a-store (desk, demo units, shelves with covers) has gone.

I got the impression from some other threads here that Kobo's store in a store has gone from other WHSmith branches too - does anyone know if this is true nationwide? Doing this just in time for a major hardware release seems perverse.

What are the options for buying in the UK? Argos (out of stock), Kobo online, WHSmith online, Amazon online (but more expensive)?

ballfresno · 09-25-2016, 11:11 AM

The same has happened in WH Smith in Crawley.

I've ordered a KA1 from Kobo online...

TheHazardsDuke · 09-26-2016, 06:30 AM

In my WHSmiths Kobo has been gone since the start of the year. They don't even sell Kobo gift cards at all. You can buy online from WHSmith still as well as Argos and Currys/Dixons had Kobo ereaders online too (although I've not checked to see whether thats still the case). Kobo's distribution is pretty atrocious. I can go into plenty of shops and see Kindles left right and centre but most people don't even seem to know what a Kobo is. I wonder if Kobo & WHSmith had a falling out of some sort or if WHSmith just didnt sell enough to make it worth their while to have in store stock/displays.

chrisridd · 09-26-2016, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHazardsDuke

In my WHSmiths Kobo has been gone since the start of the year. They don't even sell Kobo gift cards at all. You can buy online from WHSmith still as well as Argos and Currys/Dixons had Kobo ereaders online too (although I've not checked to see whether thats still the case). Kobo's distribution is pretty atrocious. I can go into plenty of shops and see Kindles left right and centre but most people don't even seem to know what a Kobo is. I wonder if Kobo & WHSmith had a falling out of some sort or if WHSmith just didnt sell enough to make it worth their while to have in store stock/displays.

I think what happened is what happened to Apple in the 90s - the Macs on display in other stores (think PC World etc) got tattier and tattier, the sales people had no interest in selling them, and it became a vicious circle until Apple pulled them all out and started building their own stores.

Not that I think Kobo will build their own stores, but I think they've decided that the old in store experiences are fairly terrible and they've cut their losses.

Whether that's a smart thing to do just before releasing new hardware is something that I can't say.

John Lewis have some Kobos in stock, but not the KA1.

soulfuldog · 09-27-2016, 11:54 AM

My local WH Smith, which is a smaller store, only ever had a tiny display stand and that disappeared sometime last year. I was in there last week and they did have a Kobo poster on the wall, telling you to go online to order a Kobo ereader.

Darkkobo · 09-27-2016, 11:58 AM

In Germany is the same thing. Unknow delievery date on all shops for KA1.

Graham Hurst · 09-27-2016, 05:21 PM

Argos stocks them all, and you can ask to see them if you're polite

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search...hTerm/kobo.htm

chrisridd · 09-28-2016, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham Hurst

Argos stocks them all, and you can ask to see them if you're polite

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search...hTerm/kobo.htm

My nearest Argos/Homebase does say order now and collect in 5 days. I wonder if that's actually true?

soulfuldog · 09-28-2016, 08:05 AM

I think stock is still pretty limited in Argos. 6 out of the 9 stores I looked at say collect in 4 or 5 days (so in stock in warehouse only and will be delivered to the store for you), only 3 actually have stock locally that you can collect on the same day.

robko · 09-28-2016, 06:50 PM

I think stock is pretty limited everywhere. Kobo's own Canadian website says "In stock Oct 7", and Chapters has it available online but now has a restriction of a maximum of 2 per order that they didn't have originally.

ballfresno · 10-02-2016, 02:12 PM

Given that WH Smith is no longer (seemingly) making Kobos available from their shops (where I bought my previous two Kobos), I decided to order direct from Kobo. Despite the UK site saying not available until sometime in October, I ordered it and got it a week later (last Thursday)! Very pleasantly surprised.

And I'm loving it. The screen size is fantastic and the natural light feature is quite pleasant at night.

09-25-2016, 06:25 AM	#1
chrisridd Guru Posts: 977 Karma: 2209358 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: London, UK Device: Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura ONE, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	WHSmiths in the UK I popped in to the WHSmith in Kingston upon Thames yesterday, hoping to get some hands on with a KA1, but the entire Kobo store-in-a-store (desk, demo units, shelves with covers) has gone. I got the impression from some other threads here that Kobo's store in a store has gone from other WHSmith branches too - does anyone know if this is true nationwide? Doing this just in time for a major hardware release seems perverse. What are the options for buying in the UK? Argos (out of stock), Kobo online, WHSmith online, Amazon online (but more expensive)?

09-27-2016, 05:21 PM	#7
Graham Hurst Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: UK Device: Kobo Aura, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	avaialbe on the high street in the UK Argos stocks them all, and you can ask to see them if you're polite http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search...hTerm/kobo.htm Last edited by Graham Hurst; 09-27-2016 at 05:22 PM. Reason: typos

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09-25-2016, 11:11 AM	#2
ballfresno Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 5774804 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Device: Kobo (Sage, Aura One, Aura HD, & Touch); reMarkable tablet.	The same has happened in WH Smith in Crawley. I've ordered a KA1 from Kobo online...

09-26-2016, 06:30 AM	#3
TheHazardsDuke Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 2059996 Join Date: Aug 2016 Device: Kobo Touch	In my WHSmiths Kobo has been gone since the start of the year. They don't even sell Kobo gift cards at all. You can buy online from WHSmith still as well as Argos and Currys/Dixons had Kobo ereaders online too (although I've not checked to see whether thats still the case). Kobo's distribution is pretty atrocious. I can go into plenty of shops and see Kindles left right and centre but most people don't even seem to know what a Kobo is. I wonder if Kobo & WHSmith had a falling out of some sort or if WHSmith just didnt sell enough to make it worth their while to have in store stock/displays.

09-27-2016, 11:54 AM	#5
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	My local WH Smith, which is a smaller store, only ever had a tiny display stand and that disappeared sometime last year. I was in there last week and they did have a Kobo poster on the wall, telling you to go online to order a Kobo ereader.

09-27-2016, 11:58 AM	#6
Darkkobo Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 18026 Join Date: Sep 2016 Device: Kobo Aura one	In Germany is the same thing. Unknow delievery date on all shops for KA1.

09-28-2016, 08:05 AM	#9
soulfuldog I ♥ Calibre Posts: 2,073 Karma: 5678911 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Voyage, Sony PRS-350, Hudl2	I think stock is still pretty limited in Argos. 6 out of the 9 stores I looked at say collect in 4 or 5 days (so in stock in warehouse only and will be delivered to the store for you), only 3 actually have stock locally that you can collect on the same day.

09-28-2016, 06:50 PM	#10
robko Wizard Posts: 2,454 Karma: 5469320 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo	I think stock is pretty limited everywhere. Kobo's own Canadian website says "In stock Oct 7", and Chapters has it available online but now has a restriction of a maximum of 2 per order that they didn't have originally.

10-02-2016, 02:12 PM	#11
ballfresno Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 5774804 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: UK Device: Kobo (Sage, Aura One, Aura HD, & Touch); reMarkable tablet.	Given that WH Smith is no longer (seemingly) making Kobos available from their shops (where I bought my previous two Kobos), I decided to order direct from Kobo. Despite the UK site saying not available until sometime in October, I ordered it and got it a week later (last Thursday)! Very pleasantly surprised. And I'm loving it. The screen size is fantastic and the natural light feature is quite pleasant at night.