Walmart and Kobo launch Walmart eBooks

Walmart has announced its latest move to compete with Amazon, a Kobo ebook and audiobook store.

Japan's Rakuten, which has owned Kobo since 2011, partnered with Walmart earlier this year to distribute Kobo e-readers in the US with preloaded and co-branded software for buying digital books. And they are now launching Walmart eBooks, which will be accessible through co-branded iOS and Android apps and on Kobo eReaders. It will offer Kobo’s library of more than six million titles. Customers will be able to subscribe to an audiobook service for $9.99 per month, which includes one audiobook per month, and the ability to purchase digital book cards in 3,500 Walmart stores. 

There will also be access to Kobo’s eReaders online and in-store. In 1,000 stores, Walmart will offer the Aura starting later this week. “We’re really excited about this new category, and we know our customers will be too,” says Mario Pacini, General Manager, Entertainment, Walmart eCommerce US.

“We’ve been hard at work expanding our assortment on Walmart.com overall – from dramatically growing our product assortment in the baby category and announcing a new fashion partnership with Ellen DeGeneres, to introducing entirely new categories like the one we’re unveiling today.”

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