THE WORLD’S LARGEST ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR USED BOOKS OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS TO NEW BOOKS

AbeBooks.com opens its doors to those who want to sell new books online after book buyers and sellers say new and used belong together

(BOOK EXPO AMERICA, Chicago, Ill., June 4, 2004)—AbeBooks, the world’s largest online marketplace for books, announced today at BookExpo America that new books are now officially welcome to be bought and sold on AbeBooks’ four international websites, AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr.

Hannes Blum, CEO and president of AbeBooks explains, “Recent studies show a meaningful shift in how people are buying and selling new and used books online, but this is a natural progression for the market, for booksellers, and for AbeBooks.”

Blum emphasizes that selection will be greatly enhanced by this development: “We sell 20,000 books a day and 97% of our customers buy new books as well as used. The number one reason people visit AbeBooks is selection. By welcoming new books, AbeBooks will become the best place to buy any book online.”

The official expansion of the AbeBooks platform to new books makes it possible for book retailers, publishers and authors to begin selling new books directly to customers online.

How Used Books Grew into New Books
AbeBooks.com began as a site for used, rare and out-of-print books. Independent booksellers and publishers have noticed the success that 12,000 used and rare book sellers are having reaching buyers in markets around the world by listing books on AbeBooks.

AbeBooks estimates that over the past three years, 50 independent publishers and 100 new book retailers have started listing new books and backlist titles for sale on AbeBooks.com, and that 10% of all books currently for sale on AbeBooks are new. The company believes that new books will account for one third of all books listed on AbeBooks websites within the next three years.

Bookseller Mohinder Kaur of Elephant Books has started adding new books to the 45,000 books he currently lists on AbeBooks.com. “I think it’s a great idea, it will definitely help our sales and bring more people, new people to the site.”

A research study conducted by AbeBooks in November 2003 revealed that every used book buyer is also a new book buyer, and that most book buyers visiting AbeBooks.com would also purchase new books if they were available, especially for new releases and bestselling fiction. The majority of survey respondents also encouraged AbeBooks to concentrate only on books and not venture into sales of non-book merchandise.

AbeBooks Stays True to its Roots and Heritage
In their belief that new books and used books belong together, AbeBooks will not grant either book type a preferential place in search results when people search for books. Used and new books will appear together. The company does plan, however, to offer future sort options that will make it possible to search by condition code alone, and options to purchase multiple copies of books from a single seller.

At the same time, Blum assures all booklovers that AbeBooks will continue to stay true to its roots in the used, rare and out-of-print book trade, and to its history of helping independent sellers thrive online. “AbeBooks is a 100% open marketplace for books. New books will add depth and breadth to the total inventory of books for sale. I’m confident that new books will expand the selection for buyers, and also broaden the buyer base for sellers. Our goal is to have a copy of every book ever published on our site.”

To communicate this new area of growth for AbeBooks, the company has launched a highly-visual print advertising campaign in the US, Canada, and the UK featuring the phrase “Because you read.” Lisa Stevens, AbeBooks Director of Marketing explains, “It’s time to let booklovers know about AbeBooks. An avid reader who discovers our marketplace and explores our unique community of over twelve thousand booksellers will be an instant fan. We’re a booklover’s paradise, and we want our paradise to be found.”

As the world book marketplace grows more competitive, a powerful Internet platform like AbeBooks will allow book sellers to connect with new customers in new countries, based on specialities. Specialty sellers and publishers will bring specialty books to AbeBooks’ current database of over fifty million books.

AbeBooks executives attending BookExpo are Hannes Blum (CEO), Lisa Stevens (Director of Marketing), Boris Wertz (COO) and Sue Connors, (Director, Bookseller Community).

About AbeBooks
AbeBooks is the world’s largest online marketplace for books. AbeBooks makes it simple and safe to find and buy—or list and sell—books online. Bookbuyers love the variety of over 50 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books offered by more than 12,000 independent booksellers. Readers find bestsellers, collectors find rare books, students find textbooks, and treasure hunters find books they’ve been seeking forever. Booksellers love AbeBooks for providing tools to help them succeed online, including options for selling via strategic partners (Amazon, Barnes & Noble), and four sites to reach global markets (AbeBooks.com, AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr).
AbeBooks is a private company based in Victoria, BC Canada, with offices in Düsseldorf, Germany. AbeBooks.com was named a top e-business site at the UN World Summit Awards 2003. As a company, AbeBooks is changing how books are found, sold, and shared with the world.

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Contacts
Richard Davies, PR & Publicity Mgr., AbeBooks.com
Ph: 250-412-3238
rdavies@abebooks.com

AbeBooks BookExpo Chicago booth # 3758
AbeBooks BookExpo booth reception: 11:00am Saturday June 5, 2004
AbeBooks presentation: 3:00 pm Saturday June 5, room S505B, Lisa Stevens & Boris Wertz:
“How New Book Sellers Can Profit from the Used Book Craze”