Does Walmart Sell Kindle Readers? (All You Need to Know)

Walmart is one of the largest retailers in the US. The retailer offers an extensive selection of equipment, appliances, and electrical appliances. But does it sell Kindle Readers? Read on to find out.

As of 2022, Walmart does not sell any Kindle products. This is primarily because Kindle is an Amazon product—Amazon being Walmart’s largest competitor. Walmart views Amazon as a serious competitor, and therefore it wouldn't be wise for it to sell Amazon-branded products. Instead, Walmart sells Rakuten Kobo eReaders, among other tablets and eReaders. In this post, you will learn about other readers you can find at Walmart and other stores where you can find Amazon-branded Kindle readers.

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Why Doesn’t Walmart Sell Kindle Readers?

Walmart does not sell Kindle readers as they are Amazon products. This has, however, not always been the case. Before 2012, Walmart used to sell Kindle readers on its platform. When Amazon grew in size, however, Walmart so them as a threat and thus chose to drop the Amazon Kindle readers.

Additionally, Kindle add-ons and subscriptions could only be purchased via Amazon. If Walmart kept selling Kindle readers, it might have driven Walmart’s customers to Amazon. Walmart was not the only retailer to drop Amazon Kindle readers. Target also so the threat that Amazon posed, and they also chose to drop Amazon Kindle readers from their stores.

Other retailers, such as Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot, continued to carry the devices in their stores. Given that Walmart continued selling similar products from companies such as Samsung, Google, Apple, and Barnes and Noble, it is apparent that the company's main aim was to drop products only from companies that are direct competitors.

By selling Kindles, Walmart would encourage its customers to step into Amazon’s ecosystem of products. Over time, Amazon has been trying to dominate every aspect of its customers. Starting with the introduction of its Echo smart speaker and Fire TV, Amazon has been releasing more and more products aimed at bringing in customers to their ecosystem of house products.

Only recently, Amazon made a $1.7 billion offer to buy iRobot. This will strengthen the company's entry into the smart home industry. This only shows how fierce of a competitor Amazon is—the company has made over 90 acquisitions eliminating competition in every sector it wants to dominate in. Therefore, it is apparent why Walmart and Target discontinued the sale of Kindle readers.

What eReaders Does Walmart Sell Then?

Yes, Walmart sells a variety of alternative eReaders on its platform. In June 2018, Walmart announced a partnership with Tokyo-based company Rakuten where a new online grocery store would be launched in Japan. The alliance contributed to the distribution of e-readers, audiobooks, and electronic books in the United States. All this was to be done via Rakuten-owned Kobo.

Kobo has had great success partnering with industry-leading bookstores worldwide to deliver a compelling e-book reading experience. Clearly, Walmart's intention with this agreement was to challenge Amazon Kindle's position as the market leader in e-readers and e-books. Even though Kobo is not a household like Amazon is, the company is the second largest e-reader manufacturer in the world.

The company has been a long-time competitor of Amazon Kindle, offering premium and waterproof versions of their e-readers years before Amazon. The partnership also saw the two companies releasing a co-branded reading app for Android and iOS.

These apps are aimed at competing with Amazon Kindle apps. As with Amazon, Walmart claims Kobo's product selection will be "completely integrated" into its Walmart.com site. This implies that once a consumer has located the book they wish to purchase, they may select not only the physical book but also the electronic book and the audiobook version.

How Much Are eReaders On Walmart?

Currently, Walmart offers four distinct Kobo models, each with a different screen size (6", 7", or 8"). You can buy a Kobo eReader for as little as $99.96-$249. These eReaders have 3-8GB of storage and can hold between 3,000 and 6,000 books.

Compared to Amazon's starting monthly Audible subscription price of $14.95, Walmart's audiobook subscription service is a steal at just $9.99 a month. BOOX eReaders may be found starting at just $31.77 at the Walmart Marketplace if you're seeking a more affordable option. The average size of a BOOX reader is 10 inches, making them a bit more cumbersome to hold than smaller alternatives.

The BK 6006, on the other hand, is a fantastic compromise device that comes in at $85.99 and features a 6" inch screen with high quality. Buttons, rather than menus, serve as the means of navigating the product.

Can You Buy Kindle Reader Accessories At Walmart?

If you are looking for Kindle accessories such as adaptive chargers, cases, and skins, you can find them at Walmart via third-party vendors. Walmarts permits the sale of such accessories since they are not directly related to Amazon.

Where To Buy A Kindle Reader?

There will be a wide variety of Kindle Readers and accessories available on Amazon.com. Some Whole Foods Market, Kohl's, GameStop locations, and Best Buy and Staples carry Kindle Readers.

Which Kindle Reader Is Best For You?

If you're always on the go but never want to stop reading, a Kindle might be the perfect solution. As of late, a plethora of Kindle variants has become available. Here's how to avoid overspending on a Kindle by learning about the different models available.

Kindle Oasis: This is the pinnacle of Amazon's e-reader offerings. It's the luxury version, so it costs a lot, looks amazing, and is the easiest to use.
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition: This is the second most expensive Kindle device, right after the Oasis. Of course, the hardware is the primary distinction—The Paperwhite Signature Edition looks like a standard e-reader, in contrast to the Kindle Oasis's eye-catching asymmetric design.
Kindle Paperwhite Edition: This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most widely purchased Kindle. It used to be superior to the entry-level model in every manner, but 2019 updates to the entry-level Kindle have closed the gap significantly.

Bottom Line

As of 2022, Walmart does not sell Amazon Kindle readers. This is because Amazon is Walmart’s largest competitor. Instead, Walmart sells its own Kobo eReaders. Walmart also provides a corresponding app enabling them to compete with Amazon Kindle. The app can be used to search for your favorite books and read them.