Will Barnes and Noble meet the same fate?
Barnes and Noble has faced hard times in the last few quarters as it tries to compete with competitors that can sell the same product for a much lower price, such as Amazon, and the recent and strong emergence of the e-reader.
However, they recently made the decision to remove DC Comic books and associated products from their shelves after the company sold exclusive rights of some of its products to Amazon, Barnes and Noble largest competitor. Pam writes in her blog that Barnes and Noble has made a grave mistake in failing to adapt quickly to the electronic market and I agree with her assessment. It is clear that Amazon is leading the field, with their Kindle sales alone, but the question now remains whether Barnes and Noble will be able to survive.
It seems unlikely that Barnes and Noble will be able to release a electronic reader that would compete with the likes of the Kindle or iPad, who have already established themselves within the market, and without the an associated product consumers are more going to gravitate towards the ease buying from the manufacturer rather than a third party.
The future looks dim for Barnes and Noble as they move forward on the path of become another old book on the shelf, seldom to be read, except by a sentimental few.