The newly launched Barnes & Nobles Nook e-book readers that had instantly become a sensation is now facing a critical shortage in stores across the United States as the infinitely popular e-reader has run out of stocks and Barnes & Nobles is experiencing a big shortage of the e-readers. This deficit in the Nook e-readers might just prove to be a boon for Amazon’s e-reader, Kindle, because the shortage of Nook might just lead to an increase in the sales of Kindle.
Sony Corporation’s own brand of e-book reader, the Daily Edition is also facing a similar situation of a shortage of supplies to the stores, just like the Nook, thus leaving the Kindle as the only alternative in the field of wireless e-readers for the consumers this holiday season. The more the shortage prolongs, the more the scope for Kindle’s sales increase.
The Nook devices that have been ordered since Friday last week will be shipped to the customers in the week beginning from January 4th, 2010. Furthermore, the e-book readers available in the Barnes & Nobles stores are in extremely short supply, thus making it very difficult to meet the consumers’ demand. According to Barnes & Nobles,
“While we increased production based on the high consumer interest, we’ve sold out of our initial Nook allotment available for delivery before the holidays. We do anticipate having limited stock available in our highest-volume stores over the holidays.”
Even Sony has stated that, due to the high consumer demand, the Daily Edition will also be experiencing an extreme shortage and thus will be available to the customers only on a first come, first serve basis and there can be no guarantees as far as the supply of the Daily Edition for the holiday season is concerned.
According to Rotman Epps (Forrester),
“These two companies wanted to show the market that they would be competition to Amazon for the 2009 holiday season and now they have to face the consequences of that strategy and apologize to consumers for empty boxes under the tree. There may be a lot of e-reader frustration — it may be the Cabbage Patch doll of the year or the Tickle Me Elmo,” referring to two popular toys of prior years that sold out quickly.”
Via Reuters.
