Launching Today: M PocketBook Touch Lux at Mayersche, A New Competitor to Tolino Shine
A few weeks ago, we already reported that the Mayersche bookstore planned to launch the PocketBook Touch Lux as its own reading device. Today marks the official launch, and the eBook Reader is now available as the M PocketBook Touch Lux.
M PocketBook Touch Lux as a Tolino Shine Competitor
As you can see from the start screen or the standby image with smiley faces (see image, left), the eBook Reader is clearly being positioned by Mayersche as a direct competitor to the Tolino Shine. The only exterior change is a small addition to the PocketBook logo, which is now prefixed by the Mayersche logo in the form of an “M” (not visible in the image).
It’s not yet clear if there are any significant software changes. It’s likely that the focus has been on a seamless shop integration, which PocketBook has always offered in various forms with partners, but the execution has often lacked attention.
The price of the M PocketBook Touch Lux is 139 euros, which corresponds to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Considering the extensive features, the price is justified, yet somewhat disappointing. I expected at least a small subsidy from Mayersche to be more competitive price-wise. Currently, you can get the PocketBook Touch Lux for just 135 euros on Amazon. In my opinion, there is room for improvement.
Opportunities and Prospects
Despite the criticism of the price, it shouldn’t detract from the fact that the PocketBook Touch Lux remains one of the best eBook Readers on the market, and a solid shop integration by Mayersche can only enhance the overall package.
For PocketBook, this new collaboration is a significant opportunity to gain a larger share of the German eReader market. Although strong partners like Libri and Umbreit were acquired in the past, it ultimately depended on the bookseller whether to leverage the offering. Looking at the sales figures for eBook Readers from last Christmas, it seems this has not been a high priority for independent booksellers.
Nevertheless, with Mayersche as a partner, PocketBook is undoubtedly reaching many more potential customers who can familiarize themselves with the devices. Whether the experiment proves successful will be revealed in the future, especially in the next month and a half leading up to Christmas, which will show whether customers are embracing the offering.
Image source: Mayersche
