The Nook e-reader from Barnes and Noble has been receiving orders for several months, but the bookstore found its ability to meet those orders severely outmatched by the unexpectedly strong demand. Currently, the device is only available for purchase online, but it seems that it will finally be making it into shops this week, which means that B&N is finally making the actual retail release of the product.

The arrival of the Nook in stores was postponed for several months because not only did Barnes and Noble have too few devices to distribute (compared to the demand), but the amount was even insufficient when it came to honoring the actual online orders. As such, B&N was put in a situation where it couldn't ship devices to all those who wanted to give them as gifts for Christmas, sending out gift certificates instead.

The insufficient inventory conditions persisted until recently, but it seems that B&N was finally able to deliver on all the orders and has now reached a high-enough inventory for its stores' shelves to finally receive the e-readers.

The device will likely be already loaded with the 1.2 firmware that was wirelessly delivered last week to all those who already owned it. The Nook will now have to contend with growing competition from the Kindle, Sony's e-reader and the various other devices that have popped out their heads during and after the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show.

The new devices have advanced touch capabilities and extra functionality, such as MP3 support and the ability to take notes through the use of a stylus. Still, Barnes and Noble has the advantage of being a bookstore chain, which means that it already has a wealth of online content for e-reader buyers to acquire via the wireless connectivity.

The Nook is scheduled to reach store shelves on Wednesday at a price of $259.