Why is it "expensive" to buy books Online?

　A book after a discount of 13 yuan, freight but pay 10 yuan

Why is it "expensive" to buy books Online?

Not long ago, Ms. Song in Dangdang bought eight new books, the eight book after the total price is far more than Dangdang's book packet Mail threshold of 38 yuan, you can enjoy the package of postal policy. But what puzzled Ms. Soong was that the eight books were broken down into four orders, and that three of them did not meet the standard of mailing and needed to pay the freight. "One of them is still Hangzhou Bookuu Bookstore, a book to play 70 percent is 13 yuan more points, but freight to pay 10 yuan, with this book than the original price is more expensive!" Ms. Song complained.

Through the understanding, the reporter discovered this kind of situation to appear actually quite many. "Recently ordered 6 copies of the comic book and album, but the Amazon automatically split into 5 parcels, almost all is a book is a package, express small brother has known me!" In the Amazon Book Forum, like such a lot of spit, many people do not know how to order split, parcel split specific based on what operation.

Orders are split, originating from third party sellers

Reporter with the readers of these two questions, respectively asked Dangdang and Amazon customer service.

The reporter learned that Dangdang and Amazon and other online bookstores, in addition to most of the proprietary books, there are some third-party sellers to provide books, the Third-party sellers of the book distribution method by its own decision. So, if the customer wants to buy books from Amazon's proprietary books and Third-party sellers ' books, and the Third-party sellers take the form of their own shipments, the order will be split into two, respectively, by the online bookstore and the third party seller, Customers will also be based on the specific circumstances of two orders to meet the standards of the package.

"It is worth noting that, whether it is Amazon proprietary books, or Third-party sellers sell books, as long as the merchandise on the page is labeled Amazon Logistics and not third-party sellers shipments, then can enjoy a full 49 yuan free shipping services." Amazon customer Service said.

To send a different parcel to a book in an order, there are also two cases, if the customer in order to get the book as soon as possible to choose "the fastest way to split order delivery", then the Amazon logistics will be required to choose the fastest delivery mode, from different inventory of parcels issued by the delivery of the distribution costs by the customer to bear. If the customer chooses to "pack as much as possible", but the goods in the order comply with the Amazon system automatically split the order, then the Amazon system will automatically split the order. "This is the Amazon in order to allow customers to get the book faster, according to the inventory and delivery, advance the first part of the book to the customer, the transfer of goods and then the remaining books shipped." "Customer service explained:" If the Amazon system automatically split orders this situation, Amazon will not charge customers any distribution fees. ”

Therefore, when buying a book, we should see whether the book is a Web site's proprietary books or Third-party sellers to provide books, and understand the relevant distribution methods and distribution costs, to avoid because the order was split to lead to additional distribution costs of payment.

Increase the threshold of mail, online bookstore competition is fierce

Offline entity bookstore under pressure to survive, actively looking for transformation, in the reader positioning and ancillary services up and down the effort. Online bookstores, on the other, are facing intense competitive pressures, and are also looking for transformation to better digest costs and gain profits.

The teacher Zhao of Hangzhou of the research of the book publishing and marketing, he told reporters that online bookstores into Third-party book sellers is an online bookstore to try to transform a small part of the business of Third-party sellers for online bookstores is not profitable business, but it is a good way to cut costs. "Although the online bookstore does not need to consider the issue of rent, but it is very high demand for logistics, online bookstore every year, the investment in logistics construction is quite large, so some online bookstores at the beginning of the stage is to do business at a loss." But in order to cultivate the user's buying habits, to ensure that the site's traffic, it still has to adhere to. The introduction of Third-party sellers, you can share some of the flow of pressure, to some extent can be said to reduce costs. "said Miss Zhao.

In order to cut costs as much as possible, in recent years, many online bookstores have raised the threshold of postal mail. Amazon from the start without the threshold of postage into a full 29 yuan package mail, at the beginning of this year, Amazon again raised the mail threshold, a sudden increase from 29 to 49 yuan. Dangdang in the book distribution, but also took the one or two-line city 38-yuan mail, three or four-line City 69-dollar package of postal policy.

The online bookstore into the Third-party sellers and improve the threshold of the mail, reflects the current stage of the book market Fierce competition, which has a close relationship with the reading atmosphere, reading habits. In order to better adapt to the market, to obtain profits, online bookstores have also been a positive transformation, Amazon notes the importance of electronic reading, e-books and E-book readers in the Kindle a lot of effort.

"In fact, like Dangdang, Amazon and other online bookstores, the ultimate goal is not only to sell books, but the use of books to attract popularity, to ensure user flow, construction platform, and then turn to other merchandise sales, this is my personal view." "said Miss Zhao.