Toys R Us next up to carry Amazon Kindles
updated 02:40 pm EDT, Wed July 27, 2011
Geoffrey the giraffe to pitch eReaders to kids
Toys R Us has committed itself to e-readers in earnest by carrying devices of its own. The toy retailing giant will begin selling the Amazon Kindle in its stores starting this Sunday. Toys R Us will stock three models, the Kindle Wi-Fi in graphite, the Kindle 3G in graphite, and the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers.
The Kindle is not the first e-reader to be carried by the toy retailer. It also sells the Pandigital Personal eReader. Amazon's much larger stake in the category, however, could lead to significantly higher sales.
E-books have been gaining in popularity. In May, Amazon announced that digital reading media outsold paperbacks and hardcovers for the first time. Toys R Us is following the trend of other retailers who have responded to the demand for digital books and started carrying eReaders. Kindles, Barnes & Noble's Nooks, and other eReaders have found their way to shelves at office supply stores, electronics stores including Radio Shack and Best Buy, warehouse stores such as Costco, and even mass merchandisers Walmart and Target.
Toys R Us did not announce any special pricing, but it is offering a $10 gift card with a purchase until August 6.
