Takealot.com – Online bookselling

Books and e-books are a key focus for takealot.com. Not just because of our heritage – following our 2015 merger with Kalahari we welcomed a huge number of passionate readers and loyal book buyers – but also because books offer something for everyone.

Since: June 2011
Contact: Jamie Roller (Books Department Buyer), jamie.roller@takealot.com

As an online shopping destination Takealot focuses on all kinds of departments, how much attention does your book department get?

Lots. Books and e-books are a key focus for takealot.com. Not just because of our heritage – following our 2015 merger with Kalahari we welcomed a huge number of passionate readers and loyal book buyers – but also because books offer something for everyone. Our wide range of customers across South Africa – young and old, English and Afrikaans, from Sandton to Stellenbosch – will all find something for their wish list in our books department.

What makes your online bookstore special?

Our range of books and e-books is enormous – as big as our virtual bookshelves can stretch! From varsity textbooks to Deon Meyer thrillers or the latest Harry Potter, we can offer our customers the biggest choice, all at great prices. And, we deliver to your door without having to fight through traffic jams and mall parking, which makes book shopping fast, simple and fun.

What are the challenges and benefits related to working at an online bookstore as opposed to a physical bookstore?

With the rapidly growing appetite for e-books, being an online retailer gives us a huge opportunity to serve both customers; those who love the traditional printed format and those wanting an instant download of the latest bestseller. Daily interaction with customers is certainly different online – but while we don’t greet them in a physical store, we have plenty of opportunities to speak with them via our Customer Service team and social media, helping them to find exactly what they’re looking for, giving them gift ideas or following up on order queries. As a bookworm, you miss the interaction with handling all the titles as they arrive (unless you take a trip to one of our enormous warehouses, where you’ll see more books than you can count!). Though that’s definitely one of the benefits of online – being able to stock thousands of titleswithout having to worry if they’ll fit on the shelf.

What is your absolute favourite aspect of working with Takealot’s online bookstore?

As an avid reader, I love getting a sneak peek at all the new releases before they hit our shelves. We work closely with all South Africa’s top publishers who share lots of exciting new titles every month from crime thrillers to lekker cookbooks – so I can build my Takealot wish list with pre-orders before the books are even released. I also love how quickly a new book can be in my hands – from my fingertips to my front door in a matter of days – ordering from the app is almost too easy at times!

As an ecommerce site, Takealot probably has to cater to a large variety of people. Does this make the book selection process easier or harder?

We do indeed – we have customers living in all parts of South Africa, representing a wide range of languages, ages and locations. Because we’re an online store, we have the luxury of space and range so we’re able to offer something for everyone and remain competitive on price without the cumbersome overheads of a bricks and mortar store. Selecting which books get marketing support is probably the biggest challenge – we have such a huge range, but not enough space to shout about them all.

Does Takealot take part in any literacy initiatives or projects?

We’re excited to see National Book Week coming up in September when books will definitely be high on our agenda, encouraging parents to get reading with their kids and asking customers to consider donating books to local worthy causes like libraries and schools in need. For some time, Takealot’s key charity partner has been Beautiful Gate, providing care and support to vulnerable children and their families; their After School Club programme is one of their key projects, improving English, Maths & Science skills of hundreds of children between 6 and 18 years of age.

What is the overall most sold book on Takealot?

This year, cookbooks have dominated our bestsellers, especially with the enduring trend of low carb and banting diets – locals Inè Reynierse and Tim Noakes both regularly feature with multiple titles in our top ten. Children’s stories, from Roald Dahl classics to The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, are also top sellers – including, of course, the newly released Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts I & II, which hit our #2 spot on preorders alone.

In your “about” section on the website it says that the website was initiated with the vision of creating “the largest, simplest, most customer centric online shopping destination in Africa.” Do you believe that your book selection caters to all readers in Africa?

We certainly try to. We keep our eyes on all key trends in the industry, from exciting emerging local authors to established international franchises, bestsellers in the market as well as more niche titles that reflect the interests of our customers. Our Customer Services team actively engages with all customer requests for titles and when demand is great, we’ll do our best to stock that title on our shelves. So if there are any authors or titles missing that you want to see at Takealot in the future, drop us a line at info@takealot.com or send your suggestions to us on Facebook or Twitter @TAKEALOT.

Do you run any promotions or specials during the year? And are there any coming up?

We’ve recently launched our Books Clearance Store on takealot.com – an area dedicated to great value titles with big savings. This is refreshed with new lines all the time so customers will always find bargains there. We’re also in the middle of our Back to Varsity season, offering unbeatable deals on university textbooks that you won’t find cheaper anywhere else. Every week we offer new releases at great prices too – to make sure you don’t miss the next books sale and all our hot new titles, sign up to our email newsletter at www.takealot.com/books.