Retailers’ predatory book pricing tactics draw booksellers association’s ire
23 Oct 2009
The American Booksellers Association has asked the US Department of Justice to investigate a recent price war on online sales of books joined by such retail giants as Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Amazon and Target Corp ahead of the holidays.
The association claims that the price cuts amount to illegal predatory pricing that is damaging the book industry and harming the consumer.
Last week, Walmart.com's offering of the top 10 pre-ordered books including Sarah Palin's new book on its website at $10 each triggered a price war with Amazon following up with an offer at $9.
After Walmart.com lowered prices yet again by a penny, the prices were quoted at Amazon and Target.com.
On Thursday, though Walmart no longer featured the advertisement in question for the book on its home page, the retailer was offering titles at $8.98 in its books section to keep its vow on price leadership.
The books in question include new titles from best-selling authors like John Grisham and Stephen King that are typically available for $25 to $35, according to the association.