![image169[1]](http://www.teleread.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/image1691.png "image169[1]")
Tim Carmody, who I also mentioned earlier today, also has a piece at Wired’s Gadget Lab section on Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader, pointing out that despite the tendency to think of e-books these days as largely a contest between the Kindle and the iPad, the Nook has an estimated 20% of the e-book market—a bigger piece of that market than it has of the printed book market.
Carmody notes that B&N is going for a hybrid strategy that ties together its physical stores and e-book offerings, giving consumers reasons to come into Barnes & Noble stores and spend money on things that have higher margins than books. According to B&N, Nook users have increased their spending by 20%, which is certainly good news for the beleaguered chain’s bottom line.
The question is whether the Nook’s success can come soon enough to save Barnes & Noble, which has taken some pretty big financial hits over the last few years. The company is in the process of fighting off a takeover bid by a major shareholder, while at the same time apparently considering selling itself to someone else. What happens to the Nook if the company changes hands again?
(For that matter, what happens to eReader and Fictionwise?)
I have them all but the nook does have an alluring relation with the physical store. I frequently go to the local if only for in-store up-grades and I also stop in at other cities just because of the nook. It is something like a coffee house addition.
B&N could do even better financially if they sold to customers outside the US.