Amazon have set up shop in Brazil, but don’t get too excited as there’s no FBA service or third party marketplace. In fact there’s nothing other than a Portuguese Kindle eBook store at the moment.
It’s taken Amazon years to gain control of the URL amazon.com.br, previously it was owned by the Brazilian Amazon Corporation, an IT company. Amazon took them to court and gained control of the UK as of the 14th September this year.
At the launch Amazon have over 1.4 million titles which can instantly be read on Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone or iPad, PC or Mac with free Kindle reading apps in Portuguese. They’ll be selling the latest (not Fire) Kindle for R$299.00 (about £88.00 – sells for £69.00 in the UK), although currently there’s no firm date for when they’ll land in Brazil.
This is going to be an interesting experiment for Amazon. Common thinking is that Kindle devices are sold at or below cost and Amazon make their money back with loyal customers spending on the site. In Brazil customers will be able to purchase eBooks only, they’ll never be buying real products which will be shipped to subsidise the price of their Kindle.
