Wal-Mart Will Stop Selling Amazon.com Kindles

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is phasing out the sale of Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers, the second major retailer to stop offering the items in six months.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said Thursday the decision was made as part of its overall merchandising strategy to offer a broad assortment of products at low prices. Amazon has been selling lower-priced tablets at thin — if any — profit margins to boost sales of digital media like books and music from its online store. That makes it less attractive for major retailers to carry Kindles in their stores, particularly as online retailers like Amazon.com become more of a threat for traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

Retailers are trying to fight a growing practice called “showrooming.” That’s when shoppers, armed with smartphones, browse products in physical stores and then shop online for a better price.

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