Walmart takes another jab at Amazon as it begins selling e-books for first time

Charisse Jones | USA TODAY

Walmart ratcheted up its battle with Amazon, planting a stake on the e-commerce giant's turf by selling e-books for the first time.

Starting Wednesday, the world's biggest retailer will officially launch Walmart e-books, a partnership with Rakuten Kobo, the digital book division of Japan's top e-commerce company.

In addition to choosing from among over 6 million electronic books, Walmart customers will now be able to participate in a new subscription service that will allow shoppers to get one audiobook a month for a monthly fee of $9.99.

And gift buyers will be able to pick up digital book cards at what will ultimately be 3,500 Walmart locations starting this week.

Walmart has been taking on Amazon by steadily adding new products, experiences and online partners. But selling electronic and audiobooks may be its most pointed move, given that Amazon first burst onto the scene by selling books online, disrupting the bookstore sector before upending the rest of the retail landscape by offering and delivering products ranging from furniture to gadgets.

Walmart shoppers will be able to access e-books through a co-branded app, as well as on Kobo e-readers that are now for sale at Walmart.com. The Kobo Aura reader will be available at 1,000 stores beginning later this week.

Walmart, which became the world's largest retailer by offering a wide array of products at low prices, could possibly woo some readers and listeners away from Amazon with steep discounts. At least initially, it's offering several deals.

Shoppers who sign up online will get $10 off the first electronic or audio title that they purchase, while those who opt for the audio book subscription will get to try it out for free for 30 days.

Still, it will take a lot of sales to topple Amazon. In 2016, roughly 38 percent of the 800 million printed books sold were purchased from Amazon, according to book industry data site AuthorEarnings.com in 2017. Amazon sold roughly 75 percent of the 400 million e-books that were purchased and nearly 95 percent of the 50 million audiobooks.

More Money: Ellen DeGeneres' new Walmart line of T-shirts, jeans and shoes won't cost over $30

More Money: Walmart makes headway in battle with Amazon as online sales soar

More Money: Walmart offers millennial parents more choices, collections as Babies R Us disappears

Walmart considers its own streaming service to take on Netflix Walmart is looking at building its own streaming service, according to a new report. Elizabeth Keatinge has more.