Barnes & Noble's e-reader delay gives Amazon another advantage

It's looking like Amazon (AMZN) could have a clear field selling e-readers this holiday season. First Sony (SNE) announced that its e-reader may not be available for shipment until after Christmas because the Japanese consumer electronics giant couldn't meet its manufacturing schedule.

Now, Barnes & Noble (BKS) says its e-reader, the Nook, will be late in hitting its stores. The Nook won't be available in some of its locations until Dec. 7. The bookseller's target had been to have the e-reader in its outlets on Nov. 30. Barnes & Noble points to high demand from online buyers as the culprit for the short supply.