Apple Introduces Gift Cards For iBookstore

Just in time for the holidays, Apple has begun selling gift cards for the iBookstore. The gift cards are available in Apple retail stores, as well as from electronics retailer Best Buy, who sells the iPad.

The gift cards are a great idea for giving the gift of books along with an iPad this holiday season. Prior to these gift cards, the only option was to give an iTunes Gift card to be used in the iBookstore. But this option has confused consumers, who are not always sure if these gift cards would work to purchase books. Having its own gift card will help avoid any confusion.

Book journalist Sarah Weinman wonders if these new gift cards will help get the iBookstore to increase its “sagging” sales. Daily Finance has more: “While the obvious reason for Apple to start doing this is to grab more of the buying power from brand-new iPad owners, the less obvious rationale is to bump up sales directly from the iBookstore — which lags very far behind other e-retailers, as multiple publishing sources have told DailyFinance throughout the summer and fall.”

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