By Nathalie Tadena
OfficeMax Inc. (OMX) said it is accepting preorders of new
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Kindle products, a move that comes as some
bricks-and-mortar retailers opt to stop selling the device.
OfficeMax said the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD 16GB will be
available at the office-supplies retailer next month, while the
Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite 3G and Kindle Fire HD 32GB
will be available in November.
"The new family of Kindle products adds to OfficeMax's
ever-expanding selection of the latest tablets and technology
products for our customers," said OfficeMax Chief Merchandising
Officer Ronald Lalla. "We've seen strong consumer and business
demand of the initial Kindle Fire since we made it available to
customers last year, and we expect strong demand of the new Kindle
products, especially as we head into the holiday season."
Last week, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) said it will stop selling
the Kindle, appearing to indicate that pricing was an issue. Last
May, Target Corp. (TGT) opted to stop selling Kindle devices amid
sentiment that it was unsatisfied with serving as a physical
showroom for people who often opted to buy the device online. Best
Buy Inc. (BBY) and Staples Inc. (SPLS) continue to sell the
Kindle.
Amazon's traditional tensions with bricks-and-mortar
stores--which are often unable to achieve the same sales and
margins as the online retail giant--have made the arrangements
uncomfortable at times. Amazon remains by far the largest retailer
of its Kindle devices.
OfficeMax shares were off three cents to $8.13 in recent
trading. The stock is up 70% over the past three months.
Write to Nathalie Tadena at nathalie.tadena@dowjones.com
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