Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org Confirms Kobo Support This Year

Bookshop.org says integration with Rakuten’s Kobo eReader is back on track and expected to roll out "later this year." The Kobo integration was originally promised for 2025, delayed to 2026 and briefly appeared to be postponed indefinitely. Andy Hunter, Bookshop.org’s founder and CEO, told TechCrunch that business terms with Kobo have been settled and that engineering work remains to ensure the integration respects publisher DRM requirements. Bookshop.org currently sells e-books through its mobile apps; the move would let Kobo owners buy e-books directly from the indie-bookshop–focused marketplace. The article notes alternative sources for Kobo-compatible books (DRM-free stores, Overdrive libraries, Books.com) and that Kobo claims about 12 million users globally.

The Kitchn Launches Paid Membership and Print Magazine

The Kitchn, part of the Apartment Therapy Media portfolio, launched a paid membership tier that includes a new quarterly print magazine plus members-only digital recipes, personalized recommendations, an AI-powered cooking assistant and an ad-free Cook Mode. The debut issue, “What’s for Dinner?”, will appear on newsstands at Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble on July 31 with an initial print run of about 80,000 copies. The membership was developed in-house, editorially led by Kitchn Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Funston, costs $40 annually at launch (no monthly option) and does not put existing free content behind a paywall—preserving the publisher’s programmatic ad business, which the company says has seen RPM rise 20% year over year. Company president Riva Syrop framed the move as incremental diversification rather than a rescue of the business.

Brands Adjust Shipping Policies Amid Rising Fuel Costs

Higher fuel prices have pushed retailers and D2C brands to revise shipping policies: companies are raising free-shipping thresholds, adding delivery fees, testing paid options, and switching to calculated shipping that reflects carrier rates. The pressure follows spikes in gas prices tied to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and rising carrier fuel surcharges; carriers including FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service have raised prices. Small brands like TickWise 3 Moms Organics report large increases in truckload and per-package costs and have raised product prices and free-shipping minimums. Larger retailers (Barnes & Noble, J.Crew, Madewell) have also adjusted site shipping options. Some merchants (Joe & Bella) found higher thresholds cut conversion and reverted changes, while others (Lori’s Designer Shoes) plan to show calculated rates to preserve order volume. The changes highlight trade-offs between covering fulfillment costs and protecting conversion/average order value.