Selling books on Trendyol

Selling books is one of the most exciting business industries. With the advent of online stores and marketplaces, this business has become accessible to anyone who wants to make money from the book industry. However, can selling books on Trendyol be a profitable niche? Let's look into it together.

In Turkey, the number of published literature for 2023 increased by 10%. According to the country's Statistical Committee, more than 70,000 books were published in Turkey last year. Of the total volume of books, most of them are educational books, followed by adult fiction, scientific literature, books for children and teenagers.

Many experts in the book trade industry say that selling books on marketplaces can be profitable if you approach this business in the right way. One of the key points is choosing the right assortment. According to statistics, bestsellers and books on current topics sell best. It is also important to take into account the seasonality of demand for certain books - for example, novels and detectives are in great demand during the vacations, and textbooks - before the beginning of the school year.

In addition, successful booksellers on Trendyol actively use marketing tools to attract customers. This can be advertising on Trendyol, participation in promotions and discounts, as well as working on building a positive image and reviews of their store.

However, despite all of the above factors, statistics on book sales on marketplaces are not always pleasing. Competition in this niche is very high and many sellers face the problem of low prices due to stiff competition. This can lead to profits from book sales becoming too small to justify the cost of warehousing, packaging, and shipping the goods.

We can see below that the number of sellers in the Ders ve Yardımcı Kitaplar category is 1598 and the number of sellers with sales is 1103. This means that the percentage of sales in this category is more than 69%. This is a successful niche and you can make money in it. It is easy to get the data, analyze it and choose the right niche with Restatos software.

Another challenge is the changing preferences of consumers. With the development of digital technologies, more and more people prefer to read e-books, which reduces the demand for printed books. This also has an impact on book sales on marketplaces. The digital book market in Turkey could reach $50-60 million per year in the next five years.

There is a solution to this problem as well - in addition to paper books, electronic versions can be sold that customers can download to their devices.

Despite all the difficulties, there are successful examples of book sales on marketplaces. Many sellers develop their business by offering unique and rare editions, collectible books or specialized thematic editions. Also, some entrepreneurs actively use the opportunity to resell used books, which are always in demand among literature connoisseurs.

For example, in the Trendyol search top we can see a unique collection of Russian classics.

What do you need to know before opening a bookstore on Trendyol?

1. Do some research on the book market. There are now 15 major publishers - Can Yayınları, Notos Kitap, İthaki Yayınları, Maya Kitap and Altın Kitaplar among others. In total, there are about 200 of them! It makes sense to pay attention to small publishers and private printing houses. You can negotiate with them for exclusive products or rare editions.

2. You don't have to limit yourself to new releases - you can also include popular classics and bestsellers from the past in a new cover.

3. The ideal option for selling books on Trendyol is to have an established bookstore. Such sellers have experience with the assortment, have contracts with publishers, and understand how to set the best price. For them, Trendyol can be a great opportunity to expand their sales geography and increase their business.

Restatos' client had a small bookstore in Antalya, near the historical center. There was a bus stop 50 meters away from his store. People waiting for the bus would go into his store and make purchases. But in 2023 the bus route was changed and the stop was moved. only regular customers remained, new ones hardly appeared. A little more and the store would have to close. The business owner decided to sell books online. They tried to create an online store, but the attendance was low. At the end of 2023, the bookstore owner registered on Trendyol, contacted Restatos, and by mid-2024 was back to 2022 figures.

4. The payback period for a book trade business is usually 15-24 months. Therefore, before launching such a project on Trendyol, it is necessary to have a financial safety cushion that will be sufficient for at least two years.

5. Seasonality of demand is also an important factor. Calendars are popular towards the end of the year and test preparation guides are popular before exams. There are also spikes in demand before holidays such as New Year's Eve, Youth and Sports Day or Eid al-Adha. Other sales peaks can be related to unexpected book trends. For example, a book author was invited to be interviewed by a famous blogger or on television, and the popularity of his or her books skyrocketed.

6. Packaging and storage of books play a key role. Books are sensitive to moisture, so they need to be stored in dry rooms with good ventilation. It is also important to properly pack the item for transportation to avoid damage. A good packaging is a film on the book and a box or tight bag on top. This way the customer will be able to look at the book, but will not be able to damage it or wrinkle the pages.

7. Book buyers are a sociable and interested audience who actively ask questions. It is important to answer all inquiries promptly and in detail in order to improve the seller's reputation and encourage the buyer to buy. Trendyol often receives questions about delivery times, product status and new products. Many customers also ask for book recommendations. For example: “Is this book suitable for a child?” or “What do you recommend for purchase if I liked this book?”. Some questions are easy to answer, but others require experience in the book industry.

What books can I sell on Trendyol?

You can sell any books that are not recognized as extremist and not banned by law. You can check the popularity in your personal Restatos cabinet in the report by category. Just select the type of books you are interested in, see the popular sellers and analyze their sales.

The most popular genres in 2024 are educational literature, children's books, fiction and self-development books.

Selling books on Trendyol can be a profitable niche if you approach this business in the right way. It is important to properly analyze market data and trends, choose a harmonious assortment and actively use marketing tools to attract customers.