Kobo's US Comeback: Sales Double as the EPUB Rival Rises
Kobo's US Business Just Doubled — Here's What Changed
On August 14, 2026, Publishers Weekly reported that Rakuten Kobo's United States business doubled its sales as the brand returns to American retail. The headline was a quiet milestone: "Rakuten Kobo Returns to U.S. Retail as Sales Double." For anyone who has followed the e-reader market over the past decade, that single sentence signals a genuine shift in a landscape Amazon has dominated since 2010.
The timing is not a coincidence. Two weeks earlier, on August 3, Kobo e-readers began appearing on Best Buy shelves for the first time in years — the same day the tech press noted that Kobo readers went on sale in Best Buy US stores. Tech Times framed it as the moment Kindle's sixteen-year retail lock finally loosened. Now the first business numbers are out, and they back up the enthusiasm: doubling your biggest market's sales is not a blip.
If you have been reading about the EPUB-first alternative to the Kindle and wondering whether the momentum is real, the evidence keeps piling up. Here is what "sales doubled" actually means, why readers are switching, and a step-by-step path to move your EPUB library over if you decide to join them.
Why a "Sales Double" Is a Big Deal for EPUB
To understand why this matters, you have to remember how lopsided the American market has been. Amazon has sold Kindles through Best Buy since 2010, which made the chain the default destination for anyone walking in to buy an e-reader. A whole generation of readers grew up assuming "e-reader" and "Kindle" were synonyms — and that the books they bought were locked to Amazon's store.
Kobo was never absent from the US, but for years it had no meaningful retail presence. Most American readers could only order Kobo devices online, if they had even heard of them. That changed on August 3, when Best Buy began stocking the latest-generation Kobo Libra Colour, Kobo Clara Colour, and Kobo Clara BW, alongside Kobo stylus pens, remotes, SleepCover cases, and gift cards — available both in stores and online, as Good e-Reader detailed.
Doubling sales on top of that retail expansion is the signal that the strategy is working, not just that the devices are available. A customer who can hold a Kobo in a physical store, see the color screen, and check that it reads EPUB natively is a customer Amazon has never had to win over before.
The Core Advantage: EPUB Is the Native Format
The reason converter-epub.com exists — and the reason so many readers keep a second e-reader in a drawer — is the format question. Kindle devices are built around Amazon's proprietary ecosystem. EPUB, the open standard maintained by the W3C, is the format the rest of the publishing world actually uses.
On a Kobo, EPUB is not a file you have to convert or a workaround. It is the default. You drag EPUB files onto the device, and they just work — including side-loaded books that have nothing to do with the Kobo store. That is the single most practical difference for anyone who wants to own their library rather than rent it. If you want to keep your collection portable and DRM-free, Kobo is the path of least resistance.
This is exactly why the open e-reader ecosystem has been growing alongside Kobo's retail push — readers are steadily migrating toward devices that respect open formats and do not lock them in.
Kobo vs Kindle at the Moment the Lock Loosens
Here is how the two platforms stack up for the reader who is deciding between them today:
| Consideration | Kobo | Kindle |
|---|---|---|
| Native format | EPUB out of the box | AZW3 / KFX, EPUB via conversion |
| Side-loading | Drag-and-drop, no friction | Works but tied to Amazon's send-to-Kindle flow |
| Store lock-in | Open bookstore, buy EPUB you keep | Books tied to your Amazon account |
| US retail | Now at Best Buy (since Aug 3, 2026) | Entrenched since 2010 |
| Color options | Libra Colour and Clara Colour | Colour models available |
| Built-in EPUB checker | Yes (firmware 4.42+) | No |
The table is not an argument that one is universally "better" — it is a map of where each platform's strengths lie. If you value open formats and owning your files, Kobo is increasingly the natural home. If you are deeply invested in Amazon's ecosystem, staying put is reasonable too. The point is that readers now have a real, visible, in-store choice for the first time in sixteen years.
How to Switch From Kindle to Kobo Without Losing Your Library
The biggest fear about switching e-readers is losing books. The good news is that a Kobo switch does not require abandoning anything. Here is the workflow, step by step:
- Identify which of your Kindle books are DRM-free. Anything you bought from Amazon is usually DRM-protected; books you side-loaded as EPUB or MOBI are typically clean. Your DRM-free titles can move freely.
- Gather your EPUB files. For books you already own as files, simply keep the EPUB copies. If you have Kindle files you want to rescue, the general process for migrating a Kindle library to EPUB applies.
- Connect your Kobo. Plug it into a computer over USB; it mounts like a USB drive.
- Drop your EPUB files into the Kobo's main folder. Remove device, eject safely, and Kobo indexes them automatically. No conversion, no app, no store involvement.
- Convert anything that is not EPUB. If you have MOBI, DOCX, or PDF essays you want to read on Kobo, run them through a converter first so the reflow, fonts, and margins work as the publisher intended. The built-in workflows in Calibre handle this cleanly, and converter-epub.com's own Kobo EPUB checker guide covers the details self-publishers care about.
- Organize your library with Calibre. Keep your master copies in Calibre and push converted EPUB files to Kobo as needed. The official Calibre conversion documentation explains format-to-format settings in depth.
That is the entire secret. Kobo treats EPUB as a first-class format, so switching is mostly a matter of copying files. Your DRM-free EPUB collection stays portable forever, and it will outlive any single store or device.
Going Deeper on Kobo
If you are warming to the idea, there is a lot already written here to help you decide. Our Kobo vs Kindle vs PocketBook comparison breaks down the device lineup, while the Kobo at Best Buy launch article covers exactly what was stocked when the retail return began on August 3.
For the self-publisher side, Kobo's built-in EPUB Checker and its open bookstore make it a different kind of platform than Amazon's closed one. That openness is also why independent developers have started building real apps for Kobo via the Cobalt SDK, and why the broader drift of authors leaving Amazon continues to accelerate. The retail sales double is one more confirmation that readers are following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Kobo really double its US sales?
Yes — Publishers Weekly reported on August 14, 2026 that Rakuten Kobo doubled its United States sales as the brand returns to American retail. The figure was reported by the trade outlet itself; the report follows Kobo's August 3 launch at Best Buy US stores.
Does Kobo read EPUB natively?
Yes. EPUB is Kobo's native format. You can drag-and-drop EPUB files onto a Kobo over USB and they read immediately, with no conversion required — unlike a Kindle, which is built around Amazon's own formats.
What happens to my Kindle books if I switch to Kobo?
Books you purchased from Amazon that are DRM-protected stay tied to your Amazon account and cannot be moved to Kobo legally without removing DRM. Your DRM-free EPUB and MOBI files move freely — just copy them onto the Kobo and they are ready to read.
Which Kobo models are sold at Best Buy US stores?
Best Buy began stocking the Kobo Libra Colour, Kobo Clara Colour, and Kobo Clara BW on August 3, 2026, along with Kobo stylus pens, remotes, SleepCover cases, and gift cards, both in stores and online.
Do I need a subscription to read side-loaded EPUB files on Kobo?
No. EPUB files you copy onto a Kobo yourself are fully readable with no subscription and no store account required. Kobo Plus is entirely optional and only affects access to Kobo's own subscription catalog.
Bottom Line
The doubling of Kobo's US sales is the clearest sign yet that the EPUB-first alternative to Amazon is becoming a real, visible choice for American readers. Combined with the August 3 launch at Best Buy — which literally ended Kindle's sixteen-year retail lock — the momentum is no longer just a niche-interest story.
If you value owning your files, reading open formats, and not being locked to one store, Kobo is now the easiest path to that on a device you can actually pick up in a store. The switch itself is simple: keep a DRM-free EPUB library, organize it in Calibre, and copy your books onto whatever open device you choose. When the retail turnaround doubles a company's sales, it is worth paying attention — and for EPUB readers, it is worth celebrating.