On your next trip to a Wal-Mart brick-and-mortar store, make sure you make a pit stop in the electronics department and check out the latest hot-ticket item to its lineup: Amazon, Inc.’s Kindle.
The popular electronic reader has joined Apple’s (News 
- Alert) iPad and Barnes & Noble’s Nook on the shelves of over 3,100 Wal-Mart stores across the country. Shoppers will now be able to try out and purchase the Kindle 3G, the Kindle SO and the Kindle WiFi.
The WiFi and 3G versions will come with a $189 price tag (News - Alert), while special offers will pare the WiFi device down to $114 to match up with Amazon.com prices.
Wal-Mart is quite late to the game, as other similar retail chains like Staples, Best Buy (News - Alert) and Target already sell the Kindle e-readers. However, according to a ZDNet.com blog, this new deal will help strengthen Amazon’s position in the physical retail world against Apple. With a slew of retail stores, Apple has gained quite the competitive advantage when it comes to enabling customers to try out products in-store.
Not only will the retail giant be contributing to the success of Kindle’s popularity, but needy teens across the U.S. will soon be receiving their very own Kindles. Thanks to a grant program organized by Wal-Mart, schools across America will be receiving grants to buy books, magazines, and, of course, the popular e-reader. One group of kids, the Arkansas Boys and Girls Club of America, has already received a $10,000 grant that’s meant to encourage the integration of reading into their daily lives.
“The Wal-Mart Foundation’s Bright Spot for Reading Initiative is essential in preparing youth for academic and life success,” said Shelby Kriz, director of Education for the club. “We are grateful to the Wal-Mart Foundation for the opportunity to create an environment that will encourage and allow our youth to enjoy and develop an affinity for reading.”
Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell
