Alibris U.K.

Not to be outdone by ABE's announced expansions, today's Alibris Seller News stated that Alibris is launching a UK/European site. Here's the story directly from the horse's mouth (the October seller newsletter):

"Alibris U.K.
Alibris will launch a new Web site for customers in the United Kingdom and Europe this November. Building on our successful North American platform, Alibris U.K. will increase sales and provide a new destination for customers and sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe.

What’s changing?

* "Ship to Customer" Orders: Sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe will ship directly to customers in the United Kingdom and Europe. These items will appear on the Seller Hub under the new heading "Ship to Customer". We’ll send a separate e-mail to sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe detailing the shipping credits and fulfillment procedures for "Ship to Customer" orders.
* Pricing: On Alibris U.K., the uplift on prices for inventory listed by sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe will be significantly reduced. This means that U.K. seller inventory will be competitively priced compared to other U.K. selling venues. However, U.S. seller inventory will receive a mark-up—on Alibris U.K. only—to offset additional shipping costs.
* Currency: Customers will be able to view prices and transact in their local currency on both Alibris U.K. and Alibris U.S. We’ll support 13 currencies and handle all foreign exchange transactions on both Web sites.
* Marketing: Alibris will aggressively market Alibris U.K. in the United Kingdom, using methods that have helped Alibris become the fourth-largest bookselling site in the U.S.

What’s not changing?

* "Ship to Alibris" Orders: Sellers in the United Kingdom and Europe will continue to ship items ordered by customers in the U.S., Canada, and other countries to the Alibris warehouse in Sparks, Nevada. Shipping procedures for sellers in the U.S., Canada, and other countries will not change, though you may notice an increase in the number of orders that "Ship to Alibris".
* Inventory: There are no changes to the way you’ll load or maintain your inventory.
* Policies: The professional and ethical standards that make Alibris the premier destination for independent sellers will not change. Sellers from the United Kingdom and Europe will be held to the same standards as current sellers.

In our December 2005 newsletter we told you that we’d "develop a more attractive international offering". Alibris U.K. is the first step in fulfilling this statement and our continuing international expansion. We will keep you informed about the launch of Alibris U.K. and other advancements targeted to increase your sales."

I bet the Aussies wish they were next... Speaking of the Aussies, Philip Israël of Leura Books has a money-saving shipping tip for Australian sellers in the newsletter, also. From the newsletter:

" Please let your Australian dealers know about a wonderful new service from Skippy Post. Since Australia Post saw fit to abolish Economy Airmail, the cost of sending parcels from Australia to overseas destinations has been astronomical. Using Skippy Post, all an Australian dealer has to do is put all their overseas orders in one box (Alibris and BibliOz orders) and send them to Skippy Post by Australia Post Reply Paid. That's right - no cost to the dealer.

The bottom line is that parcels are now arriving a lot faster compared to Economy Airmail and frequently as fast as Australia Post Airmail. Skippy Post has saved us 56% in overseas postage cost. It's great to see something positive happening for Australian dealers. I hope that any dealer reading this will take a minute to go to Skippy Post and have a look around and save heaps of money!"