# Amazon lost Walmart and Target's Kindle sales **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330 "2012-09-20T23:10:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/1 "2012-09-20T23:10:29Z")
They lost Target in May, 2012. Now Walmart is dumping Amazon. Sounds like a major business screw up on Amazons part. Losing two major retail markets has to hurt. Really, it’s three if you count Sams Club. All this just as Amazon is rolling out the newest models. I think Best Buy is the only place left where you can try out a Kindle before buying it. [http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/\_news/2012/09/20/13988874-wal-mart-says-it-will-no-longer-be-selling-amazons-kindle?lite](http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/20/13988874-wal-mart-says-it-will-no-longer-be-selling-amazons-kindle?lite) > [@](#): > > Wal-Mart Stores Inc will no longer sell [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) Inc’s Kindle products, making it the second major chain to stop selling Amazon’s devices, as the world’s largest retailer makes a bet that consumers are more interested in other gadgets. > > “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 dated Wednesday. “This includes all Amazon Kindle models current and recently announced.” > [@](#): > > Wal-Mart continues to sell products such as Apple Inc’s iPad tablets and Barnes & Noble Inc’s Nook. > [@](#): > > Target, the box retail chain, will cease to carry all Amazon-branded products, including the popular Kindle readers. > > According to The Verge, Target confirmed the retail giant will phase out all Amazon- and Kindle-branded products by spring 2012, due to a conflict of interest. [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465\_162-57426315-501465/target-drops-all-kindles-amazon-branded-products/](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57426315-501465/target-drops-all-kindles-amazon-branded-products/) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/2 "2012-09-20T23:12:52Z")
I doubt Amazon is too concerned. I’d be shocked if physical sales (as opposed to ordering directly from Amazon) were at all substantial. And it’s hardly as if Amazon needs Wal-Mart or Target to be successful. Frankly I’m amazed other stores carried Kindles at all. It’s hardly a screwup on Amazon’s part; the conflict of interest is pretty freaking obvious. “Buy this thing that will let you buy from another store instead of us!” ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/3 "2012-09-20T23:17:54Z")
> **[Dumped by Walmart, Amazon Should Fear Other Frenemies](https://www.wired.com/2012/09/amazon-walmart-frenemies/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%2Bwired%2Findex%2B%28Wired%3A%2BTop%2BStories%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner)** > > Amazon has been kicked out of Wal-Mart. Who will dump the company next? _cue teen girl voice_\* OMG! Did you see what Walmart did? Amazon doesn’t need them anyway. Amazon’s too good for Walmart. Walmart’s just jelly :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/4 "2012-09-20T23:21:36Z")
I think the big box and retail stores are beginning to resent their sales losses to Amazon. Some people go to Best Buy and try out the tv’s. Then buy the model at Amazon. Really doesn’t make sense to make Amazon even more money by selling their Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/5 "2012-09-20T23:24:34Z")
I read advice all the time to go to a retail store to check out the Kindle, and then buy it from Amazon. I can understand why Walmart wouldn’t want to be the display showroom for another store. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/6 "2012-09-20T23:26:37Z")
There’s a link at the bottom that says Target is following suit on the Kindles in the spring. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/7 "2012-09-20T23:35:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > There’s a link at the bottom that says Target is following suit on the Kindles in the spring. Oh snap!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Che_G.Anonymous_Capitalist)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/8 "2012-09-20T23:47:11Z")
Isn’t the problem that almost nobody buys a Kindle at these stores? The stores are basically just places to look at Kindle before ordering off Amazon, where they are cheaper (taxes) and come per-set up and linked to your account. I think all Kindles still come with free two-day shipping, and if not two-day shipping, it is still free. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/9 "2012-09-20T23:49:20Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I think the big box and retail stores are beginning to resent their sales losses to Amazon. Some people go to Best Buy and try out the tv’s. Then buy the model at Amazon. You’re correct. The [New York Times said](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/after-warning-amazon-about-sales-tactics-target-will-stop-selling-kindles.html) that Target sent a letter to its vendors, “What we aren’t willing to do is let online-only retailers use our brick-and-mortar stores as a showroom for their products and undercut our prices.” So I don’t know why you described this as a business screw-up on Amazon’s part. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/10 "2012-09-20T23:57:08Z")
That link is from an article in May - they’ve already left Target. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/11 "2012-09-21T00:02:43Z")
Well, if Amazon discounted the Kindle’s wholesale price. Then Walmart and Target could sell just under Amazons web price. That way Walmart customers would buy it there. Even $10 less at Walmart would be enough. Thats not going to hurt Amazon’s web sales and they get their product in all those stores. Heck doesn’t Walmart have 20 thousand or more stores? Instead, it cost more at Walmart when you add in sales tax. Of course people bought off the web instead. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/12 "2012-09-21T12:05:03Z")
Will that hurt Amazon? Buying a Kindle directly from Amazon is a relatively painless exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/13 "2012-09-21T14:11:54Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Will that hurt Amazon? Buying a Kindle directly from Amazon is a relatively painless exercise. It may hurt for sales for the percentage of people that won’t buy something sight unseen and need to play around with the Kindle before purchasing. I do think that will be a very small percentage, especially with Amazon’s excellent return policy. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/14 "2012-09-21T14:24:09Z")
That’s the whole reason both places stopped selling them. All they were was show rooms for Amazon. People would come in to check them out, then go home and buy them from Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/15 "2012-09-21T16:23:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > That’s the whole reason both places stopped selling them. All they were was show rooms for Amazon. People would come in to check them out, then go home and buy them from Amazon. I don’t know why; it’s the same price at Walmart as it is from Amazon. I got my Kindle at Wally World and didn’t have to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/16 "2012-09-21T16:45:49Z")
You know what Amazon should do? It should totally start a contractual obligation with someone that looks just like Wal-Mart, CostCo for example, and then then the middle of a business negotiation, it should totally breach that contract. Just to show them. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/17 "2012-09-21T17:58:14Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I don’t know why; it’s the same price at Walmart as it is from Amazon. I got my Kindle at Wally World and didn’t have to wait. I pay taxes at WalMart/Target, I don’t at Amazon. For the price of taxes, I could get another book. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/18 "2012-09-21T18:03:42Z")
The real reason that WalMart stopped selling Kindles is because Amazon refused to put out. WalMart said that it had been business partners with Amazon since last spring and wanted to take their partnership to “the next level”. Amazon said it liked being business partners with WalMart but didn’t feel “that way” about the company. Things got ugly when WalMart brought up Amazon’s previous relationship with Target and accused Amazon of just forming a rebound partnership with them to make Target jealous. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/19 "2012-09-21T19:34:43Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I pay taxes at WalMart/Target, I don’t at Amazon. For the price of taxes, I could get another book. Not for long. [California](http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-amazon-collecting-ca-sales-tax-20120915,0,6668499.story) residents have to pay taxes on Amazon purchases, starting this past Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330/20 "2012-09-21T22:11:50Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Not for long. [California](http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-amazon-collecting-ca-sales-tax-20120915,0,6668499.story) residents have to pay taxes on Amazon purchases, starting this past Saturday. To clarify, Amazon is going to start collecting California sales tax. Technically residents have always had to pay the sales tax, but I suspect in almost all cases didn’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lost-walmart-and-targets-kindle-sales/635330.md?page=2)