Barnes and Noble Read for Free in Stores was a system that has been around for over a decade. It allowed US users to bring their Nook in stores and read most ebooks for free for an hour. Early on, this type of thing drove Nook adoption and was one of the standout features that made it unique, compared to the competition. The bookseller has just announced that they have discontinued the Read in Store for Free, and nothing will take its place.
B&N released the following statement. “Barnes & Noble’s mission is to continually enhance your experience, making every visit and interaction as rewarding as possible. In our efforts to innovate and adapt to ever-changing reading habits, we’ve decided to discontinue the NOOK Read In Store feature. This change is part of our broader strategy to refine our services and ensure we’re offering you the most valuable and meaningful experiences.”
The decision to discontinue this service was primarily driven by the Read for Free in Stores, was a legacy system that had not been developed or iterated over the years. This, coupled with a declining user base, made it a relatively straightforward decision to discontinue the service.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.