Sony Readers Missing from Stores?

[sonyreaderfan]

This is interesting. I did a google search on "where are sony readers sold" and this article was among the top results. The article is dated Feb 18, 2011, so it's fairly recent.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...-of-e-ink.html

The title of the article is "Steve Haber Speaks: Apple’s Rejection, Sony Reader Sales, the Future of E-Ink"

There has been speculations about Sony's future with e-ink reader, why no store carries it and so forth, and this article confirms many of the speculations in this forum.

The interesting quote in the article is:
He said the devices were selling well. Sony’s Daily Edition, the only Sony device offering wireless download, is the only one of the devices currently still in stock. The Pocket and Touch editions have sold out, he said, and Sony is working to get more back into stores. Although Haber would not give precise figures, he said they had sold “millions” of devices and that “there’s not enough product to satisfy demand. Retailers are happy with the sell through but not with our supply.” He said the Daily Edition was selling “extremely well,” but is only available for sale in the U.S. The Pocket and Touch editions are available for sale in 19 countries.

So it seems that Sony sold out all the Pocket Edition and Touch Edition Readers and is having troubling fulfilling the supplies. Maybe that is why some places like Best Buy are not carrying it anymore, because they couldn't get any supplies. It also seems that the future of Sony Readers is bright.

[tponzo]

PRS 650 is currently available online here:

http://shop.pocketbookreader.com/Son...ny-PRS-650.htm

Don't know for how long but they only have black.

[cmdahler]

Originally Posted by sonyreaderfan

So it seems that Sony sold out all the Pocket Edition and Touch Edition Readers and is having troubling fulfilling the supplies. Maybe that is why some places like Best Buy are not carrying it anymore, because they couldn't get any supplies. It also seems that the future of Sony Readers is bright.

That article doesn't mesh well with reality, at least at the Best Buy store in my city. I recently went through a spate of trying different reader models from that store, so I was in there frequently for a while. The Sony display has the 350 and 950. By asking one of the salespersons to check their inventory on the 650 just to see if they had any in the back room, and making further casual conversation with him about the Sony readers, I was able to determine that their entire stock was on display, none in the back. He said what they had on display sold extremely slowly and he couldn't remember the last time they actually got a new shipment in. I purchased both a 350 and a 950 and returned them both for various reasons. In both cases, the inventory on the shelf that I had removed was never replaced over the course of a few weeks - I took them down by 1 each, and their count on the shelf stayed that way.

The local Borders here also sells Sony eReaders, and they used to have the 650 and the 350. Now they only have the 350. The sales folks there said the 650 seemed to sell fairly well after it was introduced, but they hadn't seen any in a long time, and as far as he could tell it was an online only purchase. The 350 apparently doesn't sell very fast.

I can only conclude that the Sony products here in my town, at least, hardly sell at all. I also recently called the Sony Style store down in Tyson's Corner (big shopping suburb of Washington, D.C.) to enquire about their stock of 650s. The salesman on the phone said they had no readers of any model in stock and hadn't had any for a long time, and what they had been told was that Sony was essentially just running down their stock; he said as far as he knew, Sony intends their recently announced tablets to be the next gen replacements for their eReader line.

None of this surprises me at all. There may be a small, dedicated fan base of the Sony eReaders, and I really enjoyed my 650 while I had it, but Sony doesn't advertise these things at all. I work in the travel industry, and I see countless people sitting on airplanes and in airport gate waiting areas, and I can't remember the last time I saw someone reading a Sony - plenty of people seem to use Kindles or iPads, but not much else.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by mwheinz

I posted my snap-comparison of the Nook Color versus the PRS-600

Since the 600 is the winner vs the nook, the 650 is even more of a winner since it;s just that much better then the 600.

[sonyreaderfan]

That article doesn't mesh well with reality, at least at the Best Buy store in my city. I recently went through a spate of trying different reader models from that store, so I was in there frequently for a while. The Sony display has the 350 and 950. By asking one of the salespersons to check their inventory on the 650 just to see if they had any in the back room, and making further casual conversation with him about the Sony readers, I was able to determine that their entire stock was on display, none in the back. He said what they had on display sold extremely slowly and he couldn't remember the last time they actually got a new shipment in. I purchased both a 350 and a 950 and returned them both for various reasons. In both cases, the inventory on the shelf that I had removed was never replaced over the course of a few weeks - I took them down by 1 each, and their count on the shelf stayed that way.

The local Borders here also sells Sony eReaders, and they used to have the 650 and the 350. Now they only have the 350. The sales folks there said the 650 seemed to sell fairly well after it was introduced, but they hadn't seen any in a long time, and as far as he could tell it was an online only purchase. The 350 apparently doesn't sell very fast.

I can only conclude that the Sony products here in my town, at least, hardly sell at all. I also recently called the Sony Style store down in Tyson's Corner (big shopping suburb of Washington, D.C.) to enquire about their stock of 650s. The salesman on the phone said they had no readers of any model in stock and hadn't had any for a long time, and what they had been told was that Sony was essentially just running down their stock; he said as far as he knew, Sony intends their recently announced tablets to be the next gen replacements for their eReader line.

None of this surprises me at all. There may be a small, dedicated fan base of the Sony eReaders, and I really enjoyed my 650 while I had it, but Sony doesn't advertise these things at all. I work in the travel industry, and I see countless people sitting on airplanes and in airport gate waiting areas, and I can't remember the last time I saw someone reading a Sony - plenty of people seem to use Kindles or iPads, but not much else.

Yeah, I'm surprised that Sony Readers sell at at all. I wonder how other people heard about it, at least in the U.S. I did research to find an ereader that fills my need and found out about the Sony Readers. But you're right, I don't think Sony in stores would sell. Sony Reader has no exposure, no ads, no commercials, in the U.S.

Actually I wonder how Sony's non-PS3/camera/TV/blu-ray/computer products sell at all. Do people actually buy their Walkman? I see a lot of those in the Best Buy also.

If Sony gets rid of their e-ink reader, well, that'll be a sad day because a lcd tablet is not the same thing. Dedicated fans of the Sony will have to look elsewhere for an alternative. But it seems that in the article, Sony knows that there are people that can't stand lcd for reading and want a dedicated e-ink reader.

From article:
He added, “you’ll continue to see devices that are easy on the eyes. Reading on a device with the equivalent of a lightbulb shining behind it is difficult for some people. E-ink devices are not doomed; people will have multiple reading devices.” Indeed he continually used the phrase, “e-ink devices are designed to replace traditional books,” unapologetically. “When the first black and white Sony Reader came out, everyone said, what’s this? The world is in color. But the Sony Reader is not a Swiss Army knife.”

[tponzo]

Yeah, I'm surprised that Sony Readers sell at at all. I wonder how other people heard about it, at least in the U.S. I did research to find an ereader that fills my need and found out about the Sony Readers. But you're right, I don't think Sony in stores would sell. Sony Reader has no exposure, no ads, no commercials, in the U.S.

I agree. I only picked Sony because I did my own research. It doesn't help either that here in the U.S. kindle has started to be synonymous for e-readers. People ask me all the time "is that a Kindle?"

[carpetmojo]

Happens all the time in the UK too - extremely annoying !

I always try to help people realise there are a lot more makes, and that Sony is the best, but can't go overboard, 'cos I doubt they'll be able to get one anywhere.

Sony are stark raving bonkers, in my humble opinion.

If they'd have gone the extra mile in actually realising what a good thing they had, possibly made them WiFi for the easily impressed, and signed up a chain/s, or even sorted out their own store - globally, hint - things would be very different.

[elcreative]

Weird, never been asked if it's a Kindle but several times if an iPad... go figure. They did actually sign up a chain in the UK - it's called Waterstones - but even with a chain trying to do things, you can't win without regular, firm deliveries and delivery times for stock...

[deekbee]

Interesting, albeit very low key push from one of the major high street retailers here in the UK - waterstones (at least our local store) have been selling the PRS-350 at a fairly sensible price - £111, same as the basic wifi kindle.

I've only ever seen the Kindle in one bricks and mortar store - PC World, and thats on display with the Sony reader.

Sony need to compete on more than just the quality of the product - I do feel as though the PRS-350 is a better quality, more complete product that the Kindle. I still see no reason for the keyboard, the touch screen gives considerably more flexibility.

And at least as of the PRS+ firmware, it handles PDFs incredibly well, better than my colleague reckons his Kindle does; he's been using it for viewing the manual of his Canon EOS-50D, and absolutely hates it.

[carpetmojo]

I don't think it's so much a push, more a clear-out of stock !

Our local W'stones has a sign on its (reduced size) ereader display saying it now only has accessories for 2 makes ( River + another, not Sony interestingly)

And all the boxes etc.. on the generic rack look like they've been around rather too long, and are empty anyway, and have one 350, & no 650's, and, yes, no accessories ............
And the £111 offer publicity has disappeared from ours......

And I don't think Sony signed up W'stones with any conviction, really - more named them as "preferred vendor" or some such...
And the chain never had a lot of liking for the idea, in my opinion !

Either way, they haven't what I would call "pushed" any reader much, 'cept when they only had Sony - behind a locked cabinet that you had to be "supervised" to access .........

Can't help thinking W.H.Smiths would have been a better bet - more "populist" !

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by sonyreaderfan

Actually I wonder how Sony's non-PS3/camera/TV/blu-ray/computer products sell at all. Do people actually buy their Walkman? I see a lot of those in the Best Buy also.

I've got a walkman - great device, although to be fair my main reason in buying it was battery life (50hrs).

[elcreative]

Funny, our local Waterstones have stock, just arrived including cases (with & without lights) and PSUs...

All the boxes on the rack are EMPTY! Gosh, must tell the staff at ours to put £100+ items on self-service rack so people can help themselves...

And knowing people who work there... "never had a lot of liking for the idea..." is wonderful comment considering eReaders are the biggest ticket item and have turned over more than any other item stocked... main complaint is inability to predict stocking as Sony don't commit...

Once again, never seen a Sony in a locked cabinet in any local Waterstones... maybe yours is a small one with low staffing or one with many little rooms/cubbyholes that's difficult to cover...

Sony actually preferred to have a book retailer to handle their eReaders, something W H Smiths have been failing at for years... not that it'll make much difference as B&M book (certainly fiction) retail is probably on the way out...

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I don't think it's so much a push, more a clear-out of stock !

Our local W'stones has a sign on its (reduced size) ereader display saying it now only has accessories for 2 makes ( River + another, not Sony interestingly)

And all the boxes etc.. on the generic rack look like they've been around rather too long, and are empty anyway, and have one 350, & no 650's, and, yes, no accessories ............
And the £111 offer publicity has disappeared from ours......

And I don't think Sony signed up W'stones with any conviction, really - more named them as "preferred vendor" or some such...
And the chain never had a lot of liking for the idea, in my opinion !

Either way, they haven't what I would call "pushed" any reader much, 'cept when they only had Sony - behind a locked cabinet that you had to be "supervised" to access .........

Can't help thinking W.H.Smiths would have been a better bet - more "populist" !

[carpetmojo]

[QUOTE=elcreative;1540712]Funny, our local Waterstones have stock, just arrived including cases (with & without lights) and PSUs...

All the boxes on the rack are EMPTY! Gosh, must tell the staff at ours to put £100+ items on self-service rack so people can help themselves...

And knowing people who work there... "never had a lot of liking for the idea..." is wonderful comment considering eReaders are the biggest ticket item and have turned over more than any other item stocked... main complaint is inability to predict stocking as Sony don't commit...

Once again, never seen a Sony in a locked cabinet in any local Waterstones... maybe yours is a small one with low staffing or one with many little rooms/cubbyholes that's difficult to cover...

Sony actually preferred to have a book retailer to handle their eReaders, something W H Smiths have been failing at for years... not that it'll make much difference as B&M book (certainly fiction) retail is probably on the way out... [/QUOTE


Hi elcreative - right.....

1} you're very lucky - possibly one of the only stores to be in that position, from my travels anyway.
2) The main hint was that they looked old & tatty - all of them actually, not just the generic Waterstones/Sony ones. Unloved and uncared for was my impression ! And the one 350 was locked in a frame - couldn't handle it, like at Comet or Curry's , when they had them.
3) Being a big ticket number is irrelevent if you haven't got any to sell.
4) Locked cabinets were the way it was done in Waterstones when I first got interested a round 2/3 years ago - not now.
5) It is a big city centre store, well staffed, two of who said they had one guy who really knew about ereaders, and that not many staff had them.

6) Finally, I rang, and simply asked what they were doing with ereaders, as the display looked a bit run down and diminished, and I was interested in Sony. The reply was that Sony stock was now finally being run out, but could still be ordered from their "central hub" - while stocks lasted. They were getting no more Sonys for instore sale.
But, they had a lot of boxes ...............
They were probably only continuing with iRiver & and (?e? something, missed that) readers "as Sony's wouldn't come to an agreement with Waterstones."

I think this experience is going to happen more and more, unless either Sony shove out more stock or models reliably, or come to a sensible agreement with a provider that can sell people one when they want one.