Target announced today that the Kindle, Amazon’s e-reader, will be available nationwide beginning June 6. Target will be the first brick-and-mortar retailer to carry the reading device.
The Kindle will retail for $259, and allows users to to download books, magazines, newspapers and other documents.
The move to retail signals Amazon’s effort to hold off gains by Barnes & Noble and Apple with their e-readers – the Nook and iPad. Both the Nook and the iPad have been introduced to the marketplace in the last six months, and the e-reader market has picked up considerably.
Amazon recently announce a Kindle update for this fall – making the device lighter – but shot down rumors they would integrate color and other advances into the next version.
Still, getting the Kindle into the hands of shoppers will go a long way to helping Amazon maintain it’s lead in the e-reader industry.