email to B&N Marketing

[Tomk2]

Sent to Mary Keating mkeating@bn.com

Hello Mary:

I hope you are doing well. I am fine and enjoying life. I have been trying to discern what the future of the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Nook Books will be ever since Barnes and Noble went private. I was an early adopter of the Nook devices, and I request that your new Chairman James Daunt announce a decision on the future of Nook devices and ebook sales at Barnes and Noble. I am sure he is busy, but Nook owners need to know what to do. Unfortunately, I believe the majority of nook owners assume the Nook is dead, and that we should write off our losses and migrate to the Amazon Kindle. I think it would be kind and show a lot of respect if Mr. Daunt would just come out and tell us what his plans are for the Nook. I have always preferred the Nook devices to Kindle, but I can not deny the many advantages Kindles and Amazon seem to offer. Please, tell us where your commitment for the future is, and either commit to Nook or let it pass into history. If Barnes and Noble can not commit to a full and robust future for the Nook, please transfer the previous ebook purchases to another platform, or allow registered Nook users to back up their purchases on their personal computers. I have not purchase a nook ebook at Barnes and Noble in a long time because of uncertainty. I drive by a Barnes and Noble store every day, and I would be happy to purchase my paper books there in the future if Barnes and Noble is decisive and fair to Nook customers.

Sincerely,

Tomk2


Trying to find an email address to send something to B&N is a little challenging. And I do not expect a prompt reply. But somehow I think this question is on more minds than my own, and I think it would be helpful if it were answered. Or I am completely off base, and other Nook owners don't share my concerns. Which is it?

[Sirtel]

While I have no stake whatsoever in the future of the Nook (B&N doesn't sell their ebooks outside the US, so I read only sideloaded books on my Nook), it would certainly be interesting to learn what they have to say about it. Please do let us know, if and when you get the answer.

[Tony1988]

https://goodereader.com/blog/booksel...ning-house/amp

Thia article at good e reader says he has no plans to get rid of the nook as long as it keeps Pace with Kindle.

[Tomk2]

I read that too! And using google I found some other things he has said. Such as not minding selling readers if they are his, but not wanting to sell someone elses.

In the UK he sold kindles for a while, but ended up stopping the sale of ebooks. He definitely favors the print side of the business. And there is the precedent of B&N cancelling Nook in the UK.

He has said he wont do anything too fast, but he does cut costs. So it isnt easy to predict.

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[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Tony1988

https://goodereader.com/blog/booksel...ning-house/amp

Thia article at good e reader says he has no plans to get rid of the nook as long as it keeps Pace with Kindle.

Has nook ever "kept pace" with Kindle?

[Tony1988]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Has nook ever "kept pace" with Kindle?

I don't know what he meant by that....of course they don't see as many. Nook of course was much bigger 8 or so years ago. Maybe he means the current pace ratio...lol..

[Tomk2]

I took it to mean that Nooks weren't all that essential to the B&N turn around plan, but if they should not annoy him or embarrass him they could continue to be sold?

Yet he could quickly cut loose the money losers from the digital section, make it pay for itself or even turn a profit, and keep things going. As long as it doesnt interfere with the book selling thing.

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[MGlitch]

I haven’t paid attention to BN financials for awhile, the last time I did Nook was a not insignificant drain on their resources. Though they have since cut back costs by outsourcing on the eink side which they’d already done on the tablet side. And they’ve cut way back on the in store footprint of Nook, at least in several stores.

I can’t imagine Nook has turned around and started making BN money.

It’s unfortunate that Daunt seems adamant about not selling someone else’s device, while I’m glad it means no Kindle in a BN, it also denies Kobo a better foothold than Walmart. And should Nook go the way of the dodo, which IMO is not improbable, Amazon would reign virtually unchecked in the US eink market.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

It’s unfortunate that Daunt seems adamant about not selling someone else’s device, while I’m glad it means no Kindle in a BN, it also denies Kobo a better foothold than Walmart. And should Nook go the way of the dodo, which IMO is not improbable, Amazon would reign virtually unchecked in the US eink market.

?? — Kobo is a competitor to B&N. I'm not sure why you would expect B&N to sell their devices.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

?? — Kobo is a competitor to B&N. I'm not sure why you would expect B&N to sell their devices.

I vaguely seem to remember that after B&N dumped their UK customers, they eventually ended up with Kobo. Given that this discussion seems to be about what might happen if B&N dumps the Nook and likely their ebook business in the hopes of reducing their losses, at that point, Kobo & B&N would no longer be competitors.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I vaguely seem to remember that after B&N dumped their UK customers, they eventually ended up with Kobo. Given that this discussion seems to be about what might happen if B&N dumps the Nook and likely their ebook business in the hopes of reducing their losses, at that point, Kobo & B&N would no longer be competitors.

I figure that's probably what will happen if B&N dumps the Nook. But, in the meantime, selling Kobo's competitive products doesn't seem to be a very realistic idea.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Has nook ever "kept pace" with Kindle?

In regard to hardware, Nook has frequently outstripped Kindle, e.g., frontlight, waterproofing, a 7.8" device. (Kindle's premium device is significantly smaller than their competitors' and significantly more expensive. Value matters.) I know people have their preferences; I do, too, but why not acknowledge where competitors have the advantage? I personally think that Kindle tends to use both Kobo and Nook as cheap market research; they wait to see what sticks before developing an in-house version.

It's a headscratcher for me. I get people thinking that Kindle is subjectively best and I even get where people think that Kindle is objectively best, but I really do not understand the position that says that Kindle is always best in every respect.

[Sirtel]

Tbh, there have been features the Kindle has had before its competitors. 300 ppi resolution and the lopsided design, for example. But yes, generally Amazon tends to wait before implementing new features.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I figure that's probably what will happen if B&N dumps the Nook. But, in the meantime, selling Kobo's competitive products doesn't seem to be a very realistic idea.

I meant should Daunt decide to drop Nook as a precursor to anything else happening. I thought this was implied by the should Nook go the way of the dodo comment at the end.

In the UK Nook went to, I believe Sainsbury, who subsequently went to Kobo not long after. Though I’m not sure how much of a boost this actually gave Kobo in that market.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

In regard to hardware, Nook has frequently outstripped Kindle, e.g., frontlight, waterproofing, a 7.8" device. (Kindle's premium device is significantly smaller than their competitors' and significantly more expensive.

While I agree overall with you, Kobo beat BN to the market with both waterproofing and a larger display by years. While the frontlight was done and released 7 months later.