Barnes & Noble is now heavily discounting (and even giving away free) NOOK devices with digital subscriptions to a magazine or newspaper, the first time a bookseller has ever done this type of promotion if I’m not mistaken.
The company, which is considering spinning off its NOOK business into a separate unit, this morning said customers who purchase a one-year NOOK subscription to The New York Times will receive a NOOK Simple Touch e-reader at no cost (instead of $99).
Alternatively, customers can also get a NOOK Color for $99 instead of $199 with their NYT subscription, which for the record costs $19.99 per month for full digital access.
Customer who are interested in Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet, meanwhile, can get it for $199 instead of $249 when they choose to purchase a one-year NOOK subscription to PEOPLE (which costs $9.99 per month).
Obviously, Barnes & Noble is counting on the promotion to sell more NOOKs, in which case you can be sure other retailers will follow in their footsteps.