Is Walmart Making Room For The iPad Mini?
by Brent Dirks
September 20, 2012
It’s going to be even harder to find an Amazon Kindle at a brick-and-mortar retailer. Just months after Target stopped selling the company’s e-book readers and tablets, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has followed suit, according to Reuters.
So buyers won’t be able to purchase one of Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD and the backlit Kindle Paperwhite e-reader during the upcoming holiday season at one of the more than 8,900 locations across the United States:
"We have recently made the business decision to not carry Amazon tablets and eReaders beyond our existing inventory and purchase commitments," Wal-Mart said in a memo sent to store managers on Wednesday. "This includes all Amazon Kindle models current and recently announced."Walmart’s will continue to sell Apple products like the iPad and iPhone along with other tablets and e-readers. Along with realizing consumers are largely choosing iOS devices, other speculation focused on the fact the Kindle line’s low profit margin didn’t allow Amazon to share much profit with retailers. While I suspect the bottom line had something to do with the decision, could Wal-Mart simply be clearing shelf space for the fabled iPad mini this holiday season? It should be interesting to find out as the smaller iPad is expected to be introduced sometime in October. Source: Reuters