Malcolm Owen
Walmart is taking on Amazon by entering the ebook market, launching Walmart eBooks with access to a catalog of more than 6 million digital books, as well as a $9.99 monthly subscription providing audiobooks.
The new Walmart eBooks service effectively builds upon Rakuen's existing Kobo service, including its extensive ebook library that includes best-sellers, indie titles, and children's books. The service is accessible via an iOS app, as well as for Android, along with Kobo eReaders.
Walmart is offering a number of Kobo eReaders in its online store from today, but will start selling the Kobo Aura in 1,000 physical locations later this week.
Shoppers will also be able to acquire digital book cards from 3,500 Walmart locations, which will roll out to stores this week. The cards can be redeemed against nearly 40 ebooks, with titles ranging from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle to Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse-Tyson.
The service will also provide audiobooks, including a subscription option that provides one audiobook per month for $9.99, undercutting Amazon's similar Audible subscription. Customers are being offered a free 30-day trial for the subscription.
For the launch of the ebook store, Walmart is offering first-time customers signing up $10 off their first eBook or audiobook purchase.
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10 Comments
A subscription audiobook store... Where have I heard of that before?
I’m a little surprised Walmart took this long to get into the ebook/audiobook game. I’m curious to see how it works out for them. Walmart and Amazon customers both seem to be pretty loyal so this could be interesting.
Walmart selling ebooks? That’s something not expected, but given that Apple and Amazon have both been doing it roughly a decade, I don’t think Walmart’s going to sell that much unless they do attract lots of new users.
I wish book publishers can follow the same path as magazines and start providing access to e-book version for each hardcover purchase. This will keep traditional book buying relavant in 21st century.