Nook GlowLight Gets Price Cut Ahead Of Kindle Paperwhite Launch

Barnes and Noble is gearing up for a fight against Amazon. The bookseller’s Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight has received a price cut just two days before Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is set to be released.

Target and Walmart have the Nook Simple Touch listed at $119, the same price as Amazon’s basic Paperwhite model. However, Barnes and Noble has the GlowLight listed at $139, as does Target’s website — only the in-store ad has the $119 price tag. So it is possible that the two retail giants have cut the cost to move units quickly before the Paperwhite is launched.

The Paperwhite won’t be shipping new orders until the end of October; Amazon pushed the date back to October 22 because of high demand for the new eReader.

The Nook has a clear advantage over the Kindle Paperwhite — the GlowLight doesn’t show any advertisements or “special offers,” but the Paperwhite does. Between the price cut, the lack of advertisements, and the fact that the Kindle won’t be sold in Target or Walmart, Barnes and Noble has the edge over Amazon.

Target decided to stop selling the Kindle back in May, and Walmart followed shortly after. Target was one of the largest carriers of Amazon’s eReader, but decided that it no longer wanted to be an “Amazon showroom.” Walmart, surprisingly, still sells Kindle accessories on their website.

The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight was released in April to, no pun intended, glowing reviews. The addition of a backlight, as well as several other improvements over its predecessor, may help put Barnes and Noble at the top of the eReader market.