Kobo has ended their partnership with Walmart

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by theducks

I was using the desktop app, and it finally showed when I tried to login to buy a title.

Did you think to take a screenshot? I wish I'd thought to do that to share here.

Or local Walmart now has so many items under lock and key, it makes it a pain when you want something.

Where I live (a snooty suburb in Texas called The Woodlands) I've never seen anything under lock and key, like I've seen on the news.

(the Kobo display was about 4', shelf, but the stock may have been underneath)

At least your Walmart had Kobos on display. Ours never did.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I haven't been able to find any articles on this. But I just signed in to the Kobo website on a new laptop and was met with a message saying Kobo ended their partnership with Walmart. I didn't think to take a screenshot. Anyone have anything further?

Anyway, not a shock. Walmart had a good idea, but in Google fashion, they launched a program and then immediately lost focus on it.

Apparently they were disappointed with early sale's figures because I remember seeing their plans to expand their Kobo sections (six months after they originally put Kobo's on shelves, in the stores they were in) but that never materialized.

I think the idea was to compete with Amazon directly in eBooks but it looks like they gave up on that scheme early on. Too bad, I would have liked the idea of sending people to Walmart to buy Kobos. They also seemed to want to push VuDu as their "Prime" video competition, but that seemed to have fizzled out also.

I wonder if the Clara I bought from Walmart will lose its Walmart branding? (I can make it go away, but it comes back from time to time.) For a short while I had a Walmart/Kobo account that they kept wanting me to merge with my Kobo one, but I closed out that account within a few months and logged in with Kobo, even though Walmart was the first choice.

Maybe they can buy spaces in Best Buy like other retailers do.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

For a short while I had a Walmart/Kobo account that they kept wanting me to merge with my Kobo one, but I closed out that account within a few months and logged in with Kobo, even though Walmart was the first choice.

Yeah, I seem to remember merging my Walmart and Kobo accounts when they asked me to. But I've only ever logged in as Kobo. My Clara also has the Walmart branding. If I remember, I do see it if I completely power off the Clara (which I very rarely do).

[Cactus Chef]

I've been looking for a cheap book to buy since this topic went up, so I could test if I would still get the email from Walmart.com whenever I buy a Kobo ebook (even though it's always been through a Kobo account / Kobo app). But this has been a slow week for books on sale that I want...

EDIT: Just grabbed a Philip K. Dick book on sale for the sake of testing. Still getting an email receipt from "Walmart eBooks" (although the sender is noreply@kobo.com). Amusingly, though, half the URLs directly embedded into the email no longer work.

As long as it's purely cosmetic and everything still works through Kobo, I don't really care whose entity is on the signature. I'll be sad if Walmart.com stops selling Kobo Gift cards in the future, though, because I was planning to buy a Kobo for a friend's daughter and suggest the gift cards as a way to give her some autonomy with book choices without having access to her mother's credit card.

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Apparently they were disappointed with early sale's figures because I remember seeing their plans to expand their Kobo sections (six months after they originally put Kobo's on shelves, in the stores they were in) but that never materialized.

I think the idea was to compete with Amazon directly in eBooks but it looks like they gave up on that scheme early on. Too bad, I would have liked the idea of sending people to Walmart to buy Kobos. They also seemed to want to push VuDu as their "Prime" video competition, but that seemed to have fizzled out also.

I wonder if the Clara I bought from Walmart will lose its Walmart branding? (I can make it go away, but it comes back from time to time.) For a short while I had a Walmart/Kobo account that they kept wanting me to merge with my Kobo one, but I closed out that account within a few months and logged in with Kobo, even though Walmart was the first choice.

Maybe they can buy spaces in Best Buy like other retailers do.

I was looking forward to this I thought it’d be a good way to introduce ereaders to people. But it just never happened. I do remember their Vudu. That was a “blink and you missed it” kind of thing.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JBaby

I was looking forward to this I thought it’d be a good way to introduce ereaders to people. But it just never happened.

One thing I wish Google and other companies would learn from Apple is not to quit so quickly on something. I do think Kobo could have caught on it the had set up small displays in the book section rather than with the tablets and laptops (and if they did it in more stores).

I do remember their Vudu. That was a “blink and you missed it” kind of thing.

I remember Vudu. I thought it was someone to do with Hulu.

Vudu may still be around? I remember my father-in-law telling me something about they buy a Blu Ray they get some code and it adds it to their Vudu account. That was a year or two ago, I think. Looks like it's been renamed Fandango at Home.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Vudu may still be around? I remember my father-in-law telling me something about they buy a Blu Ray they get some coffee and it adds it to their Vudu account. That was a year or two ago, I think. Looks like it's been renamed Fandango at Home.

Walmart bought Vudu in 2010. (I guess, originally in 2005, there was a Vudu Box, something like a Roku). A lot of Walmart's DVDs included an activation code for the digital version on Vudu. But in 2020 they sold Vudu to Fandango, who have just recently renamed it Fandango at Home. So it looks like Walmart gave up on both Vudu and Kobo.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JBaby

I was looking forward to this I thought it’d be a good way to introduce ereaders to people. But it just never happened. I do remember their Vudu. That was a “blink and you missed it” kind of thing.

I liked that you could walk into a Walmart and see Kobos, but I only saw a couple stores that had them. (And I think they only ever carried one model, the Aura edition 2.) I think they also had a tablet — I don't even think it was one of theirs, just a Sony (or something) with Kobo software.

Walmart actually owned Vudu for 10 years, but I think they really gave it a push in their stores when they made the agreement with Rakuten to sell Kobos (about 2018).

The deal to become a Kobo dealer also involved some kind of deal for Walmart in Japan with Rakuten (can't remember the details any more).

[John F]

I wish that Kobo could find/keep a B&M partner (here in the U.S.). I've purchased 3 (maybe 4) of my Kobos through B&Ms.

[cgsmom]

Originally Posted by John F

I wish that Kobo could find/keep a B&M partner (here in the U.S.). I've purchased 3 (maybe 4) of my Kobos through B&Ms.

I agree. I have never had a Kobo. I only saw one in a Walmart and I had to hunt for it. I probably would have bought one if they had been more visible. I agree, they should have been with the books instead of tablets.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

I wish that Kobo could find/keep a B&M partner (here in the U.S.). I've purchased 3 (maybe 4) of my Kobos through B&Ms.

They could partner up with Barnes and Noble who have left Nook dying on the vine for a decade.

[theducks]

I don't understand why Walmart could not continue to sell Kobo ONLINE, even if the store display was reduced to a simple Kobo Giftcard. Both my Kobo's were shipped (store pickup), anyhoo

[ZodWallop]

It could be Kobo that ended the partnership.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

It could be Kobo that ended the partnership.

Maybe Kobo made a deal with BlueProton. It looks like they're the prime seller of Kobos both on Amazon and Walmart now.

Unfortunately they don't have 2 day delivery.

[JBaby]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

One thing I wish Google and other companies would learn from Apple is not to quit so quickly on something. I do think Kobo could have caught on it the had set up small displays in the book section rather than with the tablets and laptops (and if they did it in more stores).

Yes!!! Companies just give up way too soon. And then they don’t even do all things necessary to give the product a real shot!

Originally Posted by rcentros

I liked that you could walk into a Walmart and see Kobos, but I only saw a couple stores that had them. (And I think they only ever carried one model, the Aura edition 2.) I think they also had a tablet — I don't even think it was one of theirs, just a Sony (or something) with Kobo software.

Walmart actually owned Vudu for 10 years, but I think they really gave it a push in their stores when they made the agreement with Rakuten to sell Kobos (about 2018).

The deal to become a Kobo dealer also involved some kind of deal for Walmart in Japan with Rakuten (can't remember the details any more).

They never came to my store either. I don’t think they came to any store in my area and I was shocked by that because one of the bigger stores in my area is in a college town. I was highly disappointed. I’m almost certain I’d have bought one if they had made them available. This what I meant when I said companies don’t do all the necessary things to give a product a fair shot.