WildBlueSkies - Trends and strategies in Digital Media

After online DVD rentals, could books be far behind? Librarywala, presented as India’s first online book library has recently launched in Mumbai. Apart from a wide selection of books with home delivery and pick-up, it also allows facilities such as wishlists, requesting books and online book previews. The site itself however could use a few tweaks.
With a Basic Plan allowing 6 books per month at a monthly subscription of Rs. 199 to a Classic Plan allowing 12 books per month at Rs. 299 it appears to be a rather good deal. For instance, at the neighbourhood second hand bookshop, I can pick up a second hand Lee Child for Rs. 80, returnable at Rs. 40, making it Rs. 240 for 6 books not to mention the limitations of books provided by the vendor and the inconvenience of travelling to his shop.
A couple of distinctions from, say, DVD rentals:

• DVD prices are on their way down, while prices of books are on their way up. This could be an opportunity since people would prefer to borrow books as opposed to buying them, and at the same time mean greater investment for the online library.
• The way forward for DVD rentals would be digital streaming of movies, reducing the cost of physical inventory, which may not be possible for a book library at least in the near future.

However, the member base would in most probability be a high quality audience to whom a number of other services could subsequently be marketed creating additional revenue streams.

Filed under: Business, Ideas & Innovations, India