Barnes & Noble is offering consumers who purchase a NOOK HD+ between March 24, 2013, and March 31, 2013 a free NOOK Simple Touch E Ink reader, a $79 value. This limited time offer is available at all the nearly 700 Barnes & Noble retail stores in the U.S., Barnes & Noble College Bookstores and online at www.nook.com. The offer is also available between March 24, 2013, and March 30, 2013, through other retailers offering NOOK products, including Walmart.com, Target and Best Buy.

NOOK Simple Touch is device designed for users seeking a simple, easy-to-use e-reader. It has a 6-inch E Ink Pearl display and the longest-lasting battery life of up to 2 months on a single charge. With a simple tap to the 6-inch touchscreen, it?s easy to navigate, shop and read.

At 18.2 ounces (515 grams), NOOK HD+ is a light full HD tablet available for $269 (16GB) and $299 (32GB). The device is powered by an 1.5Ghz dual-core processor and have built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The U.S. bookstore chain last month reported poor holiday quarter results for its Nook business. Overall revenue fell 26 percent as it sold fewer devices, losing ground to products like Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle.