Kindles on sale... again.

[rcentros]

Paperwhite $100 for the black one, $105 for the colored ones (I wonder if that will be the norm in future sales).

Basic is at $70.

Fire (basic 7", 16 GB one) is on sale for $40 (I know it's not a Kindle).

Kobo's Paperwhite competition, Clara is still on sale for $100.

Even the Nook Glowlight Plus (7.8") is on a "lesser" sale price of $180 instead of $200.

It seems like the Kindles are on sale more lately. Could it be that Amazon is actually competing with Kobo? Does any of this anticipate the release of the Kobo Nia?

[booklover6]

Amazon doesn't care about what Kobo may be releasing. They are having a Father's Day sale, IMO. Nothing to do with Kobo.

[AZBronco]

Kindle's (and other Amazon devices) go on sale for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Prime Day, Back to School, Black Friday, Christmas, and probably a few more I missed. The pattern is fairly established--has nothing to do with Kobo (a brand that you have to actively seek out in the US).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AZBronco

Kindle's (and other Amazon devices) go on sale for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Prime Day, Back to School, Black Friday, Christmas, and probably a few more I missed. The pattern is fairly established--has nothing to do with Kobo (a brand that you have to actively seek out in the US).

It's no more difficult to find Kobo online then it is to find Kindle online. So you don't have to actively seek out Kobo.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by AZBronco

Kindle's (and other Amazon devices) go on sale for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Prime Day, Back to School, Black Friday, Christmas, and probably a few more I missed. The pattern is fairly established--has nothing to do with Kobo (a brand that you have to actively seek out in the US).

Yep. Usually, MLK, Mother’s Day, Prime Day and holidays is when Amazon offers the highest discounts.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's no more difficult to find Kobo online then it is to find Kindle online. So you don't have to actively seek out Kobo.

I expect most in the US equate Kindle with ebook reader. The average reader/non-techie likely doesn’t know the Kobo brand even exists.

Meanwhile, you can find Kindles at Target, Best Buy, Walmart, etc. They’re also regularly featured on Amazon’s banners, the largest online shopping site in the US.

I know Walmart and Kobo supposedly have a partnership but I actually haven’t been to a Walmart that actually carried Kobo readers. Walmart really isn’t doing anything to promote Kobo readers.

[AZBronco]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's no more difficult to find Kobo online then it is to find Kindle online. So you don't have to actively seek out Kobo.

I agree that Kobo is easy enough to find online by going directly to the Kobo website, and anyone that researches "ereaders" on Google will find reviews that include Kobo (but most of those will list PW as "Best Value", although I often see Kobo in the #2 spot). I think the main issue, in the US at least, it's not a brand most people are familiar with. For the average person, Kindle is synonymous with e-readers. People have had experience picking up and using a Kindle at Best Buy, Target, office supply stores, some cell phone stores, and Amazon mall kiosks (especially prevalent during holiday shopping season). Since Walmart doesn't stock Kobo's in store (and even when they did the displays were hidden and unkempt), people can only hold a Kobo if they have a friend with one or by putting down cash up front. A little advertising support from Rakuten could go a long way in helping people realize they have more options than Kindle. Heck--I signed up for the Kobo promotions e-mail list hoping to get one on sale and they didn't even notify me the Clara HD was on sale for Father's Day. I found that out by reading this forum (which I find a great resource--so thanks to all who contribute).

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's no more difficult to find Kobo online then it is to find Kindle online. So you don't have to actively seek out Kobo.

Without shelf space, in shops where people can see them, online availability is fairly meaningless. You can't search for something that you don't know exists. Mindshare is an important marketing concept.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Amazon doesn't care about what Kobo may be releasing. They are having a Father's Day sale, IMO. Nothing to do with Kobo.

Originally Posted by AZBronco

Kindle's (and other Amazon devices) go on sale for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Prime Day, Back to School, Black Friday, Christmas, and probably a few more I missed. The pattern is fairly established--has nothing to do with Kobo (a brand that you have to actively seek out in the US).

There have been a few extra sales not related to these holidays this year. But I didn't even think of Father's Day, so that's probably what this is.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by rcentros

There have been a few extra sales not related to these holidays this year. But I didn't even think of Father's Day, so that's probably what this is.

Note, anytime Best Buy, etc. run a sale, Amazon tends to match those, too. Also, plenty of obscure holidays/events where they run a sale.

Indeed, Kindles go on sale much more often than Kobos, do. I've noticed it since 2018. Practically every month, there's a sale.