Sony deserting US market makes room for Kobo?

[filmo]

I was in a Florida Best Buy yesterday saw 2 Air Force men looking at Samsung phones and tablets. They asked if they were ok for reading books. I told them yes and gave them details good and bad about my use of Samsung tablet/phone. Then pulled out Kobo Mini and told them this is what I'm using most for reading because of pocket ability. They new about ereaders in store but Kobo Mini size was what they wanted. Directed them to Family Christian Bookstore in mall 50 meters away that is invisible to most people and no one would think they sold Kobo Readers.

Kobo makes some of the best readers when their firmware cooperates. I don't think their word of mouth stealth marketing does them justice. Lets hope Best Buy selling Kobo readers on line results in Best Buy store displays and more sales.

[Ken Maltby]

I guess your editor wrote the subject line? How is this about anything in this thread title?

Luck;
Ken

[filmo]

What's an editor? Ken are you volunteering?

When I bought my first Kobo they were sold at Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Borders in my small town. Within 3 years Borders gone then all the large US retailers stopped selling kobo products even on line. Kobo has some very good readers for sale that I think people would buy if they knew about them and could see and handle them in a store. Without that they don't exist for most shoppers. I would like to think 2 airmen bought kobo readers after seeing mine and told about nearby local store. During this Christmas season newest Kobo products were not even sold in USA. That's ok. Kobo is a little company that can't easily compete in large USA market against Amazon's Kindle. Kobo now being sold on line by Best Buy is great. I believe reason Best Buy stopped selling Kobo readers is Kobo never made new Aura HD reader available to Best Buy to meet demand of Best Buy customers.

Best buy is now only selling Kindle and Nook eink readers in US stores. Without any insider info I don't think Nooks sold well this Christmas season. Sony withdrew from US ereader market.

I am surprise Best Buy is again selling Kobo products. Best Buy must know Kobo readers are better than Nook eink readers. I assume they have assurance from Kobo of adequate stock for on line sales. I hope on line sales go well enough to warrant in store sales.

[GeoffR]

In New Zealand Kobo and Sony readers are both sold in Whitcoulls, which is one of the big chain bookshops here. Whitcoulls sells ebooks too, but now it is really just a shopfront for Kobo, when you go to buy an ebook it takes you to Kobo to complete the purchase.

Sony doesn't have an ebook shop here, so on the Sony NZ website they point you to Whitcoulls as the place to buy ebooks for your Sony ereader. Which means Sony is actually directing its NZ ebook business to Kobo.

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Which means Sony is actually directing its NZ ebook business to Kobo.

That's the sort of foot shooting I've come to expect of Sony. They're quite mad.

[exachillus]

Slightly related to topic. I was always interested in the Sony readers for functionality wise but I never quite get their point of keeping their recent devices to have lower res. Really it makes no sense to release a device that has 800x600 res is nowadays. At least that is what it seemed to me last time I checked their recent reader. Anyway it is no surprise to me that they are not able to hold in the US market.

[chrisridd]

Actually the latest Sony reader, the PRS-T3, has the same screen res as the Aura. No front light though.

And just after they announced it, they announced they weren't going to sell or market it in the USA. Ready foot, aim, fire :-)