Another Chain Says It Won’t Carry Amazon Books, But Does It Matter?

Canadian bookselling chain Indigo Books & Music is joining Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in their refusal to carry any Amazon Publishing titles in their stores. But what does this boycott really mean?

It’s not clear how long these will last, or what effect (if any) they will have on Amazon’s decision-making. While Barnes & Noble’s statement did not mention e-books, the company has said in the past that it will only carry Amazon Publishing titles in its stores if it can also sell them as e-books. Books-A-Million and Indigo also did not specify whether they would end their boycotts if they were allowed to sell e-books published by Amazon, but both have minimal e-book businesses. Indigo sold its e-reader business, Kobo, to Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten last November, and at the time Indigo CEO Heather Reisman suggested the chain is moving into a “third chapter,” away from an emphasis on books and toward “products consistent with the lifestyle of our customers.”