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Barnes & Noble Planning Big Push to Increase Nook Sales
By JULIE BOSMAN for The New York Times
Published: July 29, 2010
In September, the chain will begin an aggressive promotion of its Nook e-readers by building 1,000-square-foot boutiques in all of its stores, with sample Nooks, demonstration tables, video screens and employees who will give customers advice and operating instructions.
By devoting more floor space to promoting the Nook, Barnes & Noble is playing up what it calls a crucial advantage over Amazon in the e-reader war: its 720 bricks-and-mortar stores, where customers can test out the device before they commit to buying it.
“I think that’s everything,” William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, said in an interview. “American consumers want to try and hold gadgets before they purchase them.”
Barnes & Noble has already installed small counters in its stores where customers can test out the Nook. The new display space would be much larger, and it would be located next to each store’s cafe, to encourage customers to stop by the Nook space, coffee or tea in hand. It would also sell more than 100 accessories for the Nook, like padded covers designed by Kate Spade and Jonathan Adler.
While in the store, Barnes & Noble customers can read entire e-books free, just as they can with print books. “We’ve tried to replicate the physical bookstore experience,” Mr. Lynch said.
To make room for the new Nook displays, Barnes & Noble plans to clear out some of its music merchandise, which in its superstores takes up 3,600 square feet, and to arrange its books more efficiently. Mr. Lynch said that the number of books on display in Barnes & Noble stores would not decrease.
All summer, Amazon and Barnes & Noble have been locked in a fierce battle over their competing e-reader devices. In June, Barnes & Noble lowered the price of the Nook to $199 from $259, and Amazon quickly cut the price of its Kindle to $189 from $259. On Wednesday, Amazon announced plans to introduce two new versions of its Kindle e-reader, one for $139, the lowest price yet for a Kindle. Barnes & Noble also sells a version of the Nook, without free 3G and Wi-Fi, for $149.
According to the Codex Group, a consultant to the publishing industry, nearly two million Kindles had been sold as of mid-June and more than 600,000 Nooks. The Nook has been on sale since October 2009 and the Kindle since December 2007. Of course, both Nook and Kindle are looking over their shoulder at iPad, the newest e-reader on the block.
Analysts said the 2010 holiday season might be the first time that most consumers become aware enough of e-readers to seriously consider buying one, given their greater visibility and lower price.
“Most people have never read an e-book,” said Michael Norris, senior analyst at Simba Information, which provides research and advice to publishers. “Most people still don’t know much about these devices.”
A version of this article appeared in print on July 30, 2010, on page B3 of the New York edition.
By JULIE BOSMAN for The New York Times
Published: July 29, 2010
In September, the chain will begin an aggressive promotion of its Nook e-readers by building 1,000-square-foot boutiques in all of its stores, with sample Nooks, demonstration tables, video screens and employees who will give customers advice and operating instructions.
By devoting more floor space to promoting the Nook, Barnes & Noble is playing up what it calls a crucial advantage over Amazon in the e-reader war: its 720 bricks-and-mortar stores, where customers can test out the device before they commit to buying it.
“I think that’s everything,” William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, said in an interview. “American consumers want to try and hold gadgets before they purchase them.”
Barnes & Noble has already installed small counters in its stores where customers can test out the Nook. The new display space would be much larger, and it would be located next to each store’s cafe, to encourage customers to stop by the Nook space, coffee or tea in hand. It would also sell more than 100 accessories for the Nook, like padded covers designed by Kate Spade and Jonathan Adler.
While in the store, Barnes & Noble customers can read entire e-books free, just as they can with print books. “We’ve tried to replicate the physical bookstore experience,” Mr. Lynch said.
To make room for the new Nook displays, Barnes & Noble plans to clear out some of its music merchandise, which in its superstores takes up 3,600 square feet, and to arrange its books more efficiently. Mr. Lynch said that the number of books on display in Barnes & Noble stores would not decrease.
All summer, Amazon and Barnes & Noble have been locked in a fierce battle over their competing e-reader devices. In June, Barnes & Noble lowered the price of the Nook to $199 from $259, and Amazon quickly cut the price of its Kindle to $189 from $259. On Wednesday, Amazon announced plans to introduce two new versions of its Kindle e-reader, one for $139, the lowest price yet for a Kindle. Barnes & Noble also sells a version of the Nook, without free 3G and Wi-Fi, for $149.
According to the Codex Group, a consultant to the publishing industry, nearly two million Kindles had been sold as of mid-June and more than 600,000 Nooks. The Nook has been on sale since October 2009 and the Kindle since December 2007. Of course, both Nook and Kindle are looking over their shoulder at iPad, the newest e-reader on the block.
Analysts said the 2010 holiday season might be the first time that most consumers become aware enough of e-readers to seriously consider buying one, given their greater visibility and lower price.
“Most people have never read an e-book,” said Michael Norris, senior analyst at Simba Information, which provides research and advice to publishers. “Most people still don’t know much about these devices.”
A version of this article appeared in print on July 30, 2010, on page B3 of the New York edition.
