ThriftBooks
 | |
| Company type | Private[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founders | Daryl Butcher, Jason Meyer |
| Headquarters | Tukwila, Washington[1] |
Key people | Mike Ward, President[1] Ken Goldstein, Executive Chairman |
| Products | New and used media: books, DVDs, etc. |
Number of employees | 900 (2020[2]) |
| Parent | MMF Capital Management LLC, KCB Management LLC[1] |
| Website | www |
ThriftBooks is a large web-based used bookseller headquartered near Seattle, Washington.[3] ThriftBooks sells used books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, video games, and audio cassettes. ThriftBooks' business model "is based on achieving economies of scale through automation".[4]
History and platform structure
Selling over 165 million books since its inception in 2003, ThriftBooks is considered one of the largest sellers of used books in the United States. It has seven warehouses across the United States.[5] ThriftBooks was founded in the summer of 2003 by Daryl Butcher and Jason Meyer. The two created software that allowed them to organize and list thousands of book titles per day.[6] Since 2004, it has partnered with libraries, which provide unsorted books and get a share of the profits. The first library systems to join were King County, Pierce County, and North Central.[6]
Thriftbooks is popular among book collectors for being one of few western online bookselling platforms to not be a subsidiary of Amazon,[citation needed] and also for its free shipping with a $10 minimum order. However, as of 2021, free shipping does not apply to international orders. Books do not ship from any ThriftBooks warehouse during U.S. federal holidays. Books listed as "New" also cannot be delivered to countries outside the United States, although used books, VHS tapes, DVD videos, coloring books, and books categorized as "Collectible" can be.[7] For each book purchased, customers, regardless of geographic location, build up points in their accounts which can eventually be put towards a free book through the company's Reading Rewards program.[8]
ThriftBooks opened a 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m2) processing center in Phoenix in 2021 that created 150 new jobs.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Thrift Books LLC company profile". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ "About Thriftbooks".
- ^ Skager, Shawn (April 10, 2009). "Auburn-based Thrift Books leading the pack online". Auburn Reporter. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
- ^ Sussman, Mick (September 12, 2008). "Attack of the Megalisters". The New York Times.
- ^ Nosowitz, Dan (October 26, 2015). "A Penny for Your Books". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ a b Li, Caroline (July 2, 2006). "Thrift Books owners have bigger online plans". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ "Shipping". www.thriftbooks.com. ThriftBooks. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ ThriftBooks. "ReadingRewards | New & Used Books from ThriftBooks". ThriftBooks. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ^ "ThriftBooks Selects Phoenix for Expansion". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-07-12.