Amazon has announced that Kindle e-readers are now available for sale in Brazil–but not from Amazon’s website for that country. Instead, the e-reader is available from electronic e-tailer Pontofrio.com.br and Livraria da Vila bookstores with a suggested retail price of R$299 (about $143).
The online book and retail marketplace announced plans to launch its Kindle Store in Brazil two weeks ago. This marks the first time Amazon has entered a new market with an e-book-only operation, which is partly because it is too complicated to operate a similar mail order business as the ones it currently has in the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries. Though Amazon’s Brazil-facing website sells no physical items — not even Kindle devices — its existence suggests that Amazon is confident that its e-book business is strong enough to carry its international expansion strategy.
E-book fans in China might also get their hands on Kindles soon — last week the Kindle iPhone and iPad apps launched in the Chinese app store.
From the press release:
Amazon today announced that Kindle—the best-selling e-reader in the world for five years running—is available starting today in Brazil from Pontofrio.com.br and Livraria da Vila, with a suggested retail price of R$299.
“Amazon is thrilled to bring the R$299 Kindle to Brazilian customers through Livraria da Vila and Pontofrio.com.br, making it easier and more affordable than ever for Brazilian readers to own a Kindle,” said Alexandre Szapiro, Vice President of Kindle. “Now customers in Brazil can enjoy all the benefits of reading on Kindle with the option to buy in installments.”
Kindle allows us to strengthen and deepen the relationship with our customers who will continue to enjoy our large, carefully curated selection of physical books as they have over the last 27 years,” said Samuel Seibel, owner of Livraria da Vila. “Now, with Kindle, we can offer customers who choose to read digitally the world’s best-selling e-reader and the largest selection of Brazilian-language eBooks”.
“At Pontofrio.com we are strongly committed to delivering high value to our customers focusing on innovation, quality and price, which are precisely the same attributes behind the Kindle devices,” said German Quiroga, President of Nova Pontocom. “Furthermore, we want our customers to have a great shopping experience and we are thrilled to offer them access to one of the hottest products in Brazil today!