Kobo eBook Readers Now Available at Austria’s Libro Stores
Kobo, alongside Amazon, is the second major international eBook reader manufacturer that tries to make its way in Germany without aligning with the local book trade, choosing instead to go it alone. Naturally, Amazon has the advantage of using its online portal not just for selling eBook readers but for many other products as well.
However, Kobo doesn’t have this luxury and is striving to enhance its presence in local retail alongside various online shops. In Germany, they successfully partnered early on with Media Markt and Saturn, two major electronics retailers as partners. Euronics followed suit soon after, establishing Kobo as well-positioned in the electronics sector in Germany.
eBook Readers Beyond Electronics Stores
In Austria, gaining traction in local retail took a bit longer, but eventually, the Kobo eBook readers became available at Media Markt and Saturn here as well. Just a few days ago, Kobo gained a new partner they can be particularly pleased about: the retail chain Libro. With 240 branches in Austria, this significantly boosts Kobo’s local presence.
It’s not just the number of stores that’s an advantage, but also Libro’s product range. In addition to consumer electronics, they also sell books, as well as writing and office supplies. This allows Libro to reach a completely different clientele than the electronics stores.
Moreover, the Austrian book market is naturally smaller than the German one, making Libro, with 240 branches, a popular destination for book shopping. For comparison, Thalia operates 35 bookstores in Austria. For Kobo, this new partnership is an important gain.
The Kobo Touch is now available at Libro for 60 Euros, and the Kobo Glo at the regular price of 130 Euros.
