New alliance opens way for new e-opportunities

Booksellers NZ reaction to APA's announcement
 
Many opportunities for New Zealand booksellers are likely to spring from the announcement by Thorpe-Bowker and the Australian Publishers Association of a strategic alliance to establish an e-commerce platform.

Booksellers NZ CEO, Lincoln Gould told The Read that the new alliance between the two organisations will affect both the supply chain for printed books positively and create more opportunities for booksellers to sell e-books in New Zealand.

“Many New Zealand booksellers have been using Title Page as an indicator of price and availability, but it has restricted use because of it being focused on Australian availability and the Australian dollar price.

“Now kiwi booksellers will be able to get information on the availability of not only the  books regularly listed  but also New Zealand published books - all in Kiwi dollars.

“This will be combined with the bibliographic and other detail supplied by Thorpe-Bowker will greatly enhance the information that can be used by booksellers here in providing service to their customers,” said Gould

“In addition, this new relationship will enable  us to move ahead with plans for co-ordinating the supply of e-books to our membership for onward sale to their customers.

“There is a lot of work still to be done, which includes identification of e-reader supplies that our members can have confidence in offering to their customers. We will keep our members informed as this work progresses,“ said Gould.