List of online booksellers

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A list of booksellers who predominantly sell new or used books online, although some may sell other items as well; some may also sell through brick and mortar stores. Incorporated is a list of online marketplaces to which numerous small independent booksellers belong.

NameHeadquartersTypeDescription
AALBC.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyLaunched in 1998, focuses on books written by, or about, people of African descent.
AbeBooks Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Online onlyOnline marketplace for used books, owned by Amazon.com since 2008.
Adlibris Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Online onlyLarge Swedish online bookseller.
Adrian Harrington Rare Books Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Retail and onlineRare and antiquarian books, based in the United Kingdom.
Alibris Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyAn online marketplace for used but also new books
Amazon.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online only [1] The "world's largest bookstore" began by selling books from its website in 1995, and is now the world's largest online retailer of consumer goods. It operates country-specific versions of its website for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. It bought Bibliofind.com (Cambridge, Massachusetts) in 1999 and AbeBooks in 2008. [2]
Angus & Robertson Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Online onlyAn Australian bookstore founded in 1884.
Barnes & Noble Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Retail and onlineThe largest retail bookstore chain in the United States, operating more than 600 brick and mortar stores throughout the 50 states. It began experimenting with selling books online as early as the late 1980s.
Better World Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online only [3] Based in the United States, selling used books, and also supporting literacy projects and the Internet Archive.
Biblio.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyAn online marketplace catering to the book collector.
Blackwell's Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Retail and onlineA UK bookseller with both online and brick and mortar stores.
Books A Million Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Retail and onlineThe second largest bookstore chain in the United States.
BookFinder.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyA meta-search site (online marketplace) for books, acquired by AbeBooks in 2005, which in turn was acquired by Amazon.com in 2008.
Bookshop.org Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyAn online book marketplace founded in January 2020. Its stated mission is "to financially support local, independent bookstores."
Booktopia Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Online onlyAustralia's largest online bookstore. They have 128,000 in stock titles with 800,000 units ready to ship from their 100,000 sq ft distribution centre.
Brotherhood Books Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Online onlyAn Australian online bookstore.
Chapters Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Retail and onlineOwned by Indigo after a takeover in 2001, Chapters is Canada's largest online and retail bookstore.
Chegg.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyAn online bookstore which rents and sells books in United States.
Dymocks Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Retail and onlineThe online presence of the Dymocks chain, established in Australia in 1879.
eBay Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyOnline seller known for selling used books. [4]
Half Price Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Retail and onlineChain of new and used bookstores in the United States that also sells online. [4]
Maremagnum Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Online onlyAn Italian meta-search site offering over 10 million titles.
Matrubharti Flag of India.svg  India Online onlyAn India-based publisher and portal for free self-published eBooks in English and Indian regional languages.
Powell's Books Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Retail and onlineA chain of brick and mortar stores that also sells online, based out of Portland, Oregon.
Rahva Raamat Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia Retail and onlineThe largest book retail and wholesale trade company in Estonia, which has a history of over hundred years.
Rare Book Hub Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlySan Francisco based bookseller of rare and antique books.
The Second Shelf Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Online onlyLondon-based bookshop founded in 2018 focusing on rare Women's literature.
ThriftBooks Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyWeb-based used bookseller headquartered near Seattle, Washington.
Waterstones Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Retail and onlineA UK bookseller with both online and brick and mortar stores.
World of Books Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Online onlyBased in the United Kingdom, selling used books

Defunct online booksellers

NameHeadquartersTypeDescriptionDefunct as of
Book Depository Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Online onlyfounded 2004, bought by Amazon.com 2011, offered free shipping for books to addresses worldwideClosed in April 2023
Book People Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Retail and onlinewas a discount bookseller based in Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom. It also sold in workplaces and schools via a nationwide network of Book People Local distributors. (Bankrupt)
Borders Books and Music Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Retail and onlinea chain of brick and mortar stores that began selling books online relatively late, in 2008, after ending a marketing alliance with AmazonDefunct as of 2011
Half.com Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Online onlyis an online bookstore which sells second hand or used books in United StatesDefunct as of 10/31/17.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigo Books and Music</span> Canadian book and gift retailer

Indigo Books & Music Inc., known as "Indigo" and stylized "!ndigo", is Canada's only major English-language bookstore chain. It is Canada's largest book, gift, and specialty toy retailer, operating stores in all ten provinces and one territory, and through a website offering a selection of books, toys, home décor, stationery, and gifts. Most Chapters and Indigo stores include a Starbucks café inside. As of 2022, Indigo has started selling music, and select audio equipment.

The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. The New York Times Book Review has published the list weekly since October 12, 1931. In the 21st century, it has evolved into multiple lists, grouped by genre and format, including fiction and nonfiction, hardcover, paperback and electronic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnes & Noble</span> American bookseller and retailer

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across all 50 U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand Bookstore</span> Independent book store in New York City

The Strand Bookstore is an independent bookstore located at 828 Broadway, at the corner of East 12th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, two blocks south of Union Square. In addition to the main location, there is another store on the Upper West Side on Columbus Ave between West 81st and 82nd Streets, as well as kiosks in Central Park and Times Square, and a curated shelf at Moynihan Train Hall. The company's slogan is "18 Miles Of Books," as featured on its stickers, T-shirts, and other merchandise. In 2016, The New York Times called The Strand "the undisputed king of the city’s independent bookstores."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foyles</span> English bookstore chain

W & G Foyle Ltd. is a bookseller with a chain of seven stores in England. It is best known for its flagship store in Charing Cross Road, London. Foyles was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest bookshop in terms of shelf length, at 30 miles (48 km), and of the number of titles on display. It was bought by Waterstones in 2018.

Waterstones Booksellers Limited, trading as Waterstones, is a British book retailer that operates 311 shops, mainly in the United Kingdom and also other nearby countries. As of February 2014, it employs around 3,500 staff in the UK and Europe. An average-sized Waterstones shop sells a range of approximately 30,000 individual books, as well as stationery and other related products.

The American Booksellers Association (ABA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States. ABA's core members are key participants in their communities' local economy and culture, and to assist them ABA creates relevant programs; provides education, information, business products, and services; and engages in public policy and industry advocacy. The Association actively supports and defends free speech and the First Amendment rights of all Americans, without contradiction of equity and inclusion, through the American Booksellers for Free Expression. A volunteer board of 13 booksellers governs the Association. Previously headquartered in White Plains, New York, ABA became a fully remote organization in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent bookstore</span> Retail bookstore which is independently owned

An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store. They may be structured as sole proprietorships, closely held corporations or partnerships, cooperatives, or nonprofits. Independent stores can be contrasted with chain bookstores, which have many locations and are owned by corporations which often have divisions in other lines besides bookselling. Specialty stores such as comic book shops tend to be independent.

AbeBooks is an e-commerce global online marketplace with seven websites that offer books, fine art, and collectables from sellers in over 50 countries. Launched in 1996, it specialises in used, rare and out-of-print books. AbeBooks has been a subsidiary of Amazon since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bookselling</span> Business of selling and dealing with books

Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dymocks</span> Australian bookstore chain

Dymocks Booksellers is an Australian-founded privately owned bookstore chain, that also specialise in CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, e-books and related merchandising. As of June 2022, the chain has about 50 stores in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon Books</span> Bookstore chain by Amazon.com

Amazon Books was a chain of retail bookstores owned by online retailer Amazon. The first store opened on November 2, 2015, in Seattle, Washington. On March 2, 2022, it was reported that all Amazon Books would close on various dates in the future.

Ingram Content Group is an American service provider to the book publishing industry, based in La Vergne, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Ingram Industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Apple Books & Music</span> Bookstore in San Francisco

Green Apple Books & Music is an independent bookstore in the Richmond District of San Francisco, California.

The Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) is an international trade association of independent used and rare booksellers who sell online. IOBA is dedicated to ethical business practices that promote customer confidence. The organization offers members scholarships for continuing education, a mentorship program, resources for booksellers, and a virtual community for discussions on all aspects of the bookselling profession. With a diverse international membership of over 350 booksellers, IOBA members created and follow standards for ethical and safe bookselling online. Members must provide clear and accurate descriptions and prompt shipping with fair return policies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Play Books</span> Digital distribution service for ebooks

Google Play Books, formerly Google eBooks, is an ebook digital distribution service operated by Google, part of its Google Play product line. Users can purchase and download ebooks and audiobooks from Google Play, which offers over five million titles, with Google claiming it to be the "largest ebooks collection in the world". Books can be read on a dedicated Books section on the Google Play website, through the use of a mobile app available for Android and iOS, through the use of select e-readers that offer support for Adobe Digital Editions, through a web browser and reading via Google Home. Users may also upload up to 2,000 ebooks in the PDF or EPUB file formats. Google Play Books is available in 75 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booktopia</span> Australian online bookstore

Booktopia Group Ltd is an Australian online bookseller founded in 2004 in Sydney. The company also owns Angus & Robertson, a major Australian online bookseller, publisher, and printer. In July 2024, the company was placed in voluntary administration, before being bought in August 2024 by digiDirect.

Bookshop.org is an online book marketplace launched in January 2020. Its stated mission is "to financially support local, independent bookstores."

Left Bank Books is a Manhattan independent bookstore located in the West Village. It was initially established as a rare books store in 2005 after bookseller Kim Herzinger bought Bookleaves, after which a landlord conflict caused Herzinger to move it to another storefront nearby in 2010. In 2016, it closed its physical location but maintained operations as an online business led by new owners Erik DuRon and Jess Kuronen. In 2019, DuRon and Kuronen reopened the bookstore on Perry Street in the West Village. It has since retained its emphasis on providing a selection of used books alongside collecting and selling rare books.

References

  1. ↑ O'Brien, Sara Ashley (2022-03-02). "Amazon is closing all of its physical bookstores". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  2. ↑ "Amazon Buys into Rare Books, Music", Publishers Weekly May 3, 1999 full text
  3. ↑ King, Marshall V. (2019-03-31). "Better World Books closes its last retail location to focus on e-commerce". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  4. 1 2 Mulroy, Clare (2024-04-13). "Where to buy cheap books: Online sales and in-person discounts". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
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