In a sign of rising tension between online stores and their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, Target says it is going to stop selling Amazon's Kindle products. The company, one of the biggest offline sellers of Amazon's e-readers and tablets, has become fed up with shoppers using its stores as a showroom for Amazon, checking out products there before buying them online, reports the New York Times. Amazon encourages the practice and ran a promotion last year offering shoppers 5% off any item scanned at a store.
In light of such "showrooming," Target selling Amazon products is "like Starbucks selling Dunkin’ Donuts gift certificates," a retail analyst says. Target, which plans to keep selling other companies' e-readers and tablets—as well as beef up its Apple displays—was the first offline retailer to carry Kindles. But while having the product available for consumers to see in person gave the e-reader a boost in its early days, analysts say Target's move will probably be just a "mild annoyance" for Amazon unless other retailers follow suit. (More Amazon stories.)
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