Alibris Launches New Services to Grow Sales for Independent Sellers
Online marketplace helps independent sellers of new and used books, music, and movies to build their businesses, increase sales, and maintain viable independent storefronts online
EMERYVILLE, CA—August 4, 2008—Alibris, the premier independently owned and operated online marketplace for new and used books, CDs, and DVDs, announced today the launch of new services that make it easier for independent sellers of books, music, and movies to increase sales profitably.
"As a privately owned business itself, Alibris is committed to helping independent sellers grow their own businesses," said Brian Elliott, President & CEO of Alibris. "We've driven sales growth of more than 25% to our sellers this year. In a tough economic climate, we are bolstering impressive sales numbers by delivering superior value to sellers through new services, new business partners, and lower fees." Elliott elaborated that the company's most recent enhancements were focused on three important areas.
Collectibles Improvements. Alibris has made recent changes that benefit sellers and buyers of rare, out-of-print, and collectible books, music, and movies. Alibris capped seller commissions at $60, including all credit card fees and fraud-protection expenses. The company maintains that it is now the least-expensive major marketplace on which to sell collectibles. Alibris also now allows sellers to upload images of unique items, and buyers can directly contact sellers with questions about their inventory.
Alibris Integration Services. Alibris has created a set of standardized, XML-based Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allows online retailers to search through its sellers' vast inventories and offer Alibris items for sale on their e-commerce sites. Used in recent new business partnerships with sites like Blackwell U.K., Alibris Integration Services enable retailers to dramatically extend their selection and to offer incredible deals on used books, music items, and movies.
"Partners like Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Chapters/Indigo in Canada, and others have always been an important part of our business," said Liz Derr, Chief Operating Officer of Alibris. "Our new Integration Services allow us to help our sellers to dramatically extend their reach to retailers looking for a ‘Long Tail' solution."
Alibris Seller Storefronts. Seller storefronts enable buyers on Alibris's branded Web sites (www.alibris.com and Alibris U.K. at www.alibris.co.uk) to find more items from each independent seller, and to save on shipping and handling charges. Storefronts now allow sellers to also merchandise items to their buyers, to describe and personalize their businesses better, and to gain more direct access to buyers.
"Alibris seller storefronts are part of an ongoing evolution this year at Alibris," said Elliott. "We are very focused on improved services that make our marketplace experience better and allow sellers to connect directly with buyers more regularly."
Elliott explained further that the company is confident they are on the right track as they approach the back-to-school textbook buying season and prepare for the holiday shopping rush later this fall. "Sales are strong, and we will continue to build on these successes with additional enhancements as the Internet's largest independently owned and operated marketplace for sellers of books, music, and movies."
About Alibris
Alibris is the premiere online destination for new and used books, music items, and movies, as well as rare and out-of-print titles. We connect people who love books, music, and movies to the best independent sellers from 45 countries around the world. Our proprietary technology and advanced logistics allow us to offer more than 90 million used, new, and out-of-print titles to consumers, libraries, and retailers, which include Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Chapters/Indigo, and Half.com. Founded in 1998 and acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners in 2006, Alibris was named a "Fast 50" and a "Technology Fast 500" growth business by Deloitte in 2005. Alibris is a registered trademark.
