# Advertising, gotta hand it to NOOK



## Capri142 (Sep 25, 2009)

This past weekend the wife and I had an occasion to visit the local Barnes and Noble store. Actually getting 
some early Christmas shopping in for the non e-reader members of our family. Anyway. we walk into the BN and it 
was quite busy with lots of people there. Right at the entrance there is a huge display of the NOOK e-reader with 
several stations set up where folks could try them out. There were a few associates there answering questions 
about the Nook and e-readers in general...and very well done too. I talked to one of them, not mentioning that I 
already had a Kindle and asked about the differences between the various e-readers. I got a very knowledgeable 
reply with no bashing of any of the other readers at all. just explained to me why the NOOK is the one to use 
and the one that I should buy. After the visit to Barnes and Noble we went on over to Borders to look for a few more
things and I wanted to see how they were selling their line of e-readers. Walking into the store the display for e-readers 
was nowhere to be seen. I had to go looking for it and finally found a small section over by the magazines with one each 
of the three or four different readers they sell. none of which were connected or turned on. there was a brochure you
could take to read more about them and NO ONE to answer any questions. If I was in the market, I would have bought
the NOOK in a heartbeat.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Glad to hear the B&N sales folks were giving accurate info about the competition - that's not always been the case.  They've really stepped up their in-store displays since the nook first came out.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Nice to hear there was no Kindle bashing going on.    I haven't been in B&N lately.  I think I'll go just to see the Nook and how it's displayed.

Vicki


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The Borders near me has a decent display of the e-readers they sell. . .right next to the "help desk".  Not right in front but pretty obvious. . .didn't take a lot of searching to find it.  All the models available were working and one could play to their heart's content.  Someone did ask if I needed assistance but I declined.  There was plenty of literature to explain the various units.

But, I agree, B&N are now doing a good job of featuring the product. . . .


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## pomtroll (Oct 5, 2010)

*My B&N does not bash Kindles either. BUT I have found only one person who works there that does actually know kindles. Of course she can't say it but I'm pretty sure she has both a nook & a kindle. I have both & I like each for different reasons.*


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

Our stores are actually the opposite.  Our borders has a huge sign hanging from the ceiling that says "e-readers", all of them were turned on and the lady working that day was able to explain the differences between all of them.

Our B&N on the other hand was hiding the Nook and when I did find them there wasn't anyone around to talk to about them.  

However the B&N visit was a few months ago and the Borders visit was last week, so maybe things have changed at B&N since then.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The B&N closest to me has kept their Nook desk where it always was.  I was in another one downtown recently that had a small Nook desk just inside the entrance.


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## kb7uen Gene (Mar 13, 2009)

From the beginning B&N did the Nook right.  They made it easy to find and play with in the store, and it isn't in dummy mode like the Kindle are.  Also, they made tons of accessories available from the beginning.  With covers having the biggest selection and the designs were truly creative and stylish.  Yeah, B&N knows how to market an ereader better than Amazon, at least at the local store level.

Gene


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

kb7uen Gene said:


> From the beginning B&N did the Nook right. They made it easy to find and play with in the store, and it isn't in dummy mode like the Kindle are. Also, they made tons of accessories available from the beginning. With covers having the biggest selection and the designs were truly creative and stylish. Yeah, B&N knows how to market an ereader better than Amazon, at least at the local store level.
> 
> Gene


That's the difference between marketing it in your own stores rather than someone else's. I can't blame Amazon for having the Kindle in demo mode - I've seen enough frozen Sony readers in stores to know how often people screw with things like that until they get them totally locked up. (Heck, people do that with computers at Best Buy too.) B&N does have a better selection of B&N covers for nook - but the majority are ridiculously priced.

Frankly B&N *needs* to have a better marketing plan - the device itself (IMO) is inferior to Kindle. I have both, I use both, every time I get back to reading on my Kindle I'm relieved (but I do like being able to put library books on the nook).


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