Why Are E-readers Not Widely Sold in Stores?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

When I was shopping for my first ereader in 2012 I was able to see all the major brands in stores. I think I looked at Nooks at the local Barnes and Noble store. Best Buy and Target both carried several brands at that time. I bought my Sony PRS-T1 at Target. It was really helpful to me to see all the devices in person and see how they felt in my hand.

I still check out the new Kindles and Nooks at Best Buy and Barnes & Noble respectively and they're next door to each other, too. But all of my Kobo purchases have been pigs in pokes and I've got to the point where falling in love first is probably a necessary component to getting a new device, as I can't make an objective case for one. And Walmart isn't so far away from the other two stores at that, but that's an obvious non-starter. Pity.

[Junket]

Niche item with a limited audience.

Big box stores have stocked e-readers in the past and they didn't sell like gangbusters. The Amazon model or mail order if you prefer, seems to be a more effective inroad to specialty markets.

[bookyboy]

I was in a Best Buy looking at the Oasis 3 a few weeks ago at the Kindle display and it was painful to hear the sales associate guiding an interested but uninformed buyer towards a Fire tablet for "the best and most comfortable reading experience".

I had a chat with that person after the associate left and they ended up getting a Kindle Paperwhite 4 that was on a great sale ($80 for the 32GB model). To say they were greatful is an understatement.

[GlennD]

Originally Posted by HLS

I am the only person at my job walking around with an e-reader. As a matter of fact, I never saw or met another person that owns one.

I see quite a few people with them, but I'm a daily commuter on the bus. They seem to be popular items in the commuting crowd. I read on my phone quite a bit for convenience, but when I intend to have a long reading session, it's on the e-ink reader.

[mtreader]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone, and kacir for the interesting backstory on Pocketbook!

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by leebase

It appears that nobody is publishing eInk device sales anymore....but....I'm pretty d@mned sure that the heyday of eInk device sales is a thing of the past.

There's also the fact that the market is saturated. eReaders are not something most people buy every other year. Besides, a lot of people who like eReaders a lot (like me) tend to buy them for people who don't — and those eReaders end up at thrift stores. Which further saturates the market. I remember when Best Buy sold Kobos, Kindles and Nooks (maybe Sony readers) and Target sold Kindles, Nooks and Sony readers. Also, Staples and Office Depot used to stock both Kindles and Nooks.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by rcentros

There's also the fact that the market is saturated. eReaders are not something most people buy every other year. Besides, a lot of people who like eReaders a lot (like me) tend to buy them for people who don't — and those eReaders end up at thrift stores. Which further saturates the market. I remember when Best Buy sold Kobos, Kindles and Nooks (maybe Sony readers) and Target sold Kindles, Nooks and Sony readers. Also, Staples and Office Depot used to stock both Kindles and Nooks.

It also doesn't help that there was a big faddish spike in sales (leading to a ton of non-used readers) back in 2012 after the shift to near cost pricing.

That distorted the sales curve data so it doesn't reflect the actual adoption curve of the tech. In fact, B&N's Nook problems owe a lot of misreading the market and thinking spike sales were representative of adoption and usage. They ended up doing BOGO sales and giving away STRs and selling them at liquidation prices for years. (Post-spike sales showed a decline from peak even as the tech was booming with readers and ebook share of sales doubled.)

And those that did get used are still being used.
They still work even with recent releases.
The failure of ePub 3 to displace epub2.x even removed obsolescence as a sales driver for that breed, while Amazon still offers classic mobi downloads.

It's a classic case of "if it ain't broke..."

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Heck, it's hard to explain to many who HAVE used (and own) eink devices and DO read hours at a time. I love how some people like to assume that all people who choose to read on anything other than eink devices are unenlightened, extra-light-reading fools who just don't know what they're missing. Couldn't be because of an informed conscious choice. No....

THIS 100%!

I wish you eink only readers would get over yourselves. It's been years since I have used my Sony reader. I prefer to read on my pc with a 32 inch monitor when home and on my 5.5 inch Note 2 phone when out.

Right now I'm reading Nalini Singh latest Hunter Guild book on my pc, and where ever I leave off tonight I will pick up again on my phone in the morning for the commute in, lunch, commute back home tomorrow.

I see plenty of other people also reading on their phones on the train as well as playing games, Facebooking and watching movies.

Pretty much the only thing keeping eink machines alive are you eink only readers. The majority of us prefer multi-use, color, only one device to carry usefulness of phones.

[bookyboy]

Not sure why this has to be some kind of war.

I read on both types of devices depending upon the setting and the length of time.

If I'm going to be out in sunlight or at a beach, etc - I literally can't enjoy myself reading on anything but a traditional e-reader.

It just depends what I'm reading, for how long and where.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I wish you eink only readers would get over yourselves. ...The majority of us prefer multi-use, color, only one device to carry usefulness of phones.

There are plenty of people who choose to read only on e-ink devices and have absolutely no problem accepting that most other people make different choices when it comes to ebook reading devices. As one such, I see no need to "get over myself".

[cfrizz]

You are right, it doesn't have to be, but some of us strongly object to the snobbish attitude that the only device worth using is an eink device that constantly pops up on these threads.

Some of us don't read when out or at the beach so that factor isn't important to us. If it works for you, that's great, and although you didn't do this....don't put the rest of us who make different choices for a reader down just because you only like an eink device.

My pc, phones and tablets are terrific ereaders that I enjoy using immensely.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

You are right, it doesn't have to be, but some of us strongly object to the snobbish attitude that the only device worth using is an eink device that constantly pops up on these threads.

Fight snobbery with snobbery, eh? Who needs the high road?

Some of us don't read when out or at the beach so that factor isn't important to us. If it works for you, that's great, and although you didn't do this....don't put the rest of us who make different choices for a reader down just because you only like an eink device.

And pile on a little collective guilt, even though the person isn't guilty himself.

This isn't the best case for others' poor attitude, frankly.

[bookyboy]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

You are right, it doesn't have to be, but some of us strongly object to the snobbish attitude that the only device worth using is an eink device that constantly pops up on these threads.

Some of us don't read when out or at the beach so that factor isn't important to us. If it works for you, that's great, and although you didn't do this....don't put the rest of us who make different choices for a reader down just because you only like an eink device.

You admitted "I didn't do it" -- but you then tell me "not to do it"?
lol

Can we all take a deep breath here?

It really doesn't matter what others think of our choices of what to use and why, etc.

As I said - I read on multiple types of devices myself.
I use whatever is convenient and appropriate for my situation - as all of us should do.

[filmo]

Books a Million book stores use to sell e-readers but not now. I bought my ereaders, from book stores and real books and magazines.

[theducks]

It is a 'war', just not the snob one.

When demand drops for e-ink devices, the bean counters KILL it:
"We did not make our projected sales numbers".
Not, Nobody bought one.
Not, there id a LCD version...Why build/warehouse e-ink one also?