Jean-Benoît Dumais, General Manager of the Independent Booksellers of Quebec joins Joseph Planta to discuss the new e-commerce service Booksellers.ca [1].
Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.
There’s a new way to buy books in Canada, www.Booksellers.ca [2]. The e-commerce service allows Canadian consumers a chance to avoid multinational conglomerates like Amazon when buying books. And it’s not just tactile books, but e-books as well. Independent booksellers across Canada have pooled resources to create the website, which allows us to look up books we want to purchase, and how many might be available either at local stores or other stores across the country. That gives us the chance to weigh whether we’ll buy close to home, or that independent bookstore in the province next door or on the other side of the country. And with a collective agreement with Canada Post, free shipping can be had for orders over $49. Joining me now is Jean-Benoît Dumais. He’s the General Manager of the Independent Booksellers of Quebec, which has had the Quebec version of this site, www.leslibraires.ca [3] up and running for fifteen years now. I’ll ask him about its success and why they’ve expanded across the country. We’ll reflect on the importance of the local independent booksellers, and the consumer’s desire to buy Canadian. This all comes at a critical time, and it’s a welcome addition to our options of buying books online. We spoke last week with Jean-Benoît joining me from Quebec City. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jean-Benoît Dumais; Monseuir Dumais, good morning.
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