Target Closes the Book on Kindle
Target, the first brick-and-mortar store to sell the Kindle, will soon pull Amazon’s popular e-reader from its shelves. Kindle shipments to Target stores will cease on May 13, and once the device is out of stock, the company will not be replenishing it.
And, as you can see from the screenshot at left, Target has already pulled the Kindle from its Web site.
“Target is phasing out Amazon- and Kindle-branded products in the spring of 2012,” the retailer said in a statement. “We will continue to offer our guests a full assortment of e-readers and supporting accessories.”
It’s not yet clear why Target is ditching Kindle, though The Verge, which broke the story, claims the reason is a “conflict of interest.” And that could be any number of things: A contract negotiation gone bad, Target’s decision to open iPad-peddling Apple mini-stores at a few dozen of its locations, or the growing retail rivalry between the two companies. Remember, Amazon’s Kindle Fire is very tightly integrated with the company’s vast online retail store, which competes directly with Target and has a penchant for undercutting the prices of traditional retailers.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.