Bookselling site launches service utilizing 7-Eleven

Books.com.tw (博客來網路書店), the nation's No. 1 online bookseller, said it planned to launch a new "24 hours, next-day pick-up" service.

"This new service will enable consumers to pick up their orders the next day after noon at any of the 4,700 7-Eleven stores nationwide if they place their orders online before 12pm the day before," James Hsieh (謝健南), vice president of President Chain Store Corp (統一超商) -- the parent company of books.com.tw -- told a press briefing on Thursday.

The service, which started yesterday and is available all year round, is expected to add up to NT$12 million (US$369,600), or 5 percent, to the company's logistics costs, he said.

Hsieh said the company expects a 40 percent increase in revenues this year, which would outperform an industrywide forecast rise of 28 percent by the Taipei-based Market Intelligence Center (資策會) in October.

Books.com.tw saw revenues grow 40 percent year-on-year to nearly NT$2 billion last year, with more than 2 million members.

"According to MIC's research last year, Books.com.tw has a 40 percent market share in the nation's online bookstore market, which totals about NT$2.9 billion," Judy Hsueh (薛希翎), manager of books.com.tw's integrated marketing department, said by telephone.

The company still has plenty of room for business growth, as the online bookstore segment only accounts for around 12 percent of the entire book market, Hsueh said.

Book sales in Taiwan are worth approximately NT$25 billion, she said, citing an MIC estimate.