The release of Barnes & Noble’s new electronic book reader, nook, has been delayed. The online and brick-and-mortar retailer said high pre-orders for its device set back the release by one week.

The nook didn’t hit store shelves Monday as expected and will instead be available on Dec. 7. And stores that do get the nook will only have a limited number, the company told Reuters.

The nook is the fastest-selling product at Barnes & Noble, according to the company, and pre-orders exceeded expectations. The company sold out of its first allotment for delivery before the holidays. And individuals ordering a nook beginning on Nov. 20 were told not to expect shipment of the device until the week of Jan. 4, according to an official company blog.

In High Demand

The hype surrounding the nook mirrors what rival Amazon.com experienced each day it released a new version of its Kindle e-reader. Pre-orders sold out quickly,

and Amazon had a difficult moment keeping up with the demand. Sony is facing the same dilemma and is telling consumers that its high-end e-reader will not be available until after Christmas.

While hype surrounding a product increases demand, not having the device available until after the holidays may hurt nook’s prospects in the market.

“This does show how hard it is to bring consumer devices to market,” said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. “We have had a series of delays to deal with and very limited supplies. Consumers, whose interest may have been piqued by the nook, will not put an IOU under the tree and under the menorah.”

While nothing drives demand like telling consumers they cannot have it, in Barnes & Noble’s case it didn’t work.

“This causes frustration,” Gartenberg said. “There is a fine line amidst things that are hard to find and…

Original post by dhiram