Source: Walmart
Didn’t get to all those summer beach reads? Walmart’s got you covered with its new eBook service called Walmart eBooks. This Wednesday, Walmart announced its partnership with Rakuten Kobo, a Canadian eBook and audiobook company. Walmart eBooks will give readers access to more than 6 million titles, as well as an audiobook subscription service. For a monthly subscription fee of $9.99, book lovers get one free audiobook per month.
- Access to Kobo’s library of more than 6 million titles, including New York Times bestsellers, independent books and children’s titles
- A 30-day free trial to an audiobook subscription for $9.99 a month
- Ability to purchase digital book cards in 3,500 Walmart stores
- Access to Kobo’s eReaders online and in the store
Source: Walmart
Customers can access Walmart eBooks through iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) apps bearing the co-branding of Walmart and Kobo and on Kobo eReaders. Customers can buy content through the Android app, however, because of an agreement between Rakuten Kobo and Apple, iOS users will have to go to the Walmart eBooks site in their web browser to buy books. Once the purchase has been made, iOS users can access the title in the Walmart eBooks app on their iPhone or iPad.
“We’ve been hard at work expanding our assortment on Walmart.com overall – from dramatically growing our product assortment in the baby category and announcing a new fashion partnership with Ellen DeGeneres, to introducing entirely new categories like the one we’re unveiling today. So, as you’re gathering all the essentials for the last long weekend of summer, don’t forget to shop for an eBook or two,” said Mario Pacini, general manager of entertainment for Walmart eCommerce U.S., in a news release.
eBooks now trending start at $0.99, including The Quiet American by Graham Greene, Longshot by Dick Francis, Bratva Boys by T. L. Smith, Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter, Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham, Keep You Safe by Rona Halsall, The River Knows by Amanda Quick, A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton, and Texas Ranger by James Patterson.
Source: Walmart
Readers can check out the selection by scrolling through lists of trending eBooks or by searching by title, author, series or ISBN.
Insider Take:
Walmart has been stepping up its game lately, ready to compete with Amazon, and the eBooks option will help it compete head on in a number of ways. Customers can purchase eBooks through Walmart eBooks, as they would on Amazon, as well as subscribe to an audiobook service like Amazon’s own Audible, which is currently available for $14.95 a month after a free 30-day trial. Like Walmart, the audiobook subscription allows for one free title per month, but at $4.96 less than Amazon’s price. With Walmart’s retail stores, it has a strong physical presence which will help the company expand its digital reach. Could Walmart be a viable contender in the eBook space? Consumers will decide.
