MVB Launches Direct Ordering Program for Indies

On Monday, June 10, MVB U.S. CEO Ted Hill announced the creation of a program for booksellers who may be impacted by the forthcoming closure of Baker & Taylor’s retail wholesale business.

“Thousands of retailers already save time and money ordering direct from hundreds of leading publishers through our Pubnet and Pubeasy services,” said Hill. “We want to extend the benefits of publisher direct ordering to the smaller stores that previously relied exclusively on wholesalers for their inventory.”

While Pubnet and Pubeasy have always been free to retailers, MVB U.S. will waive the initial Pubnet mailbox setup fee for former Baker & Taylor customers through the end of September 2019. In addition, MVB U.S. will offer individual customer support during the setup process as well as share best practices for selecting which service is best suited for a particular store.

“Pubnet is a great option for booksellers who want to trade directly with a wide range of publishers via an automated process” said Hill.

With Pubnet, ordering is managed through all of the leading point of sale (POS) systems; Pubeasy allows ordering from the 14 largest North American publishers and their distribution clients through a website interface. “Orphaned retailers can also check price, availability, and the status of their orders on Pubeasy, just as they do now in Title Source,” Hill added.

Direct ordering can offer booksellers a lower price point up front as well as special discounts and promotions from publishers. Retailers will still need to open an account with each publisher.

“While it may take some time for former Baker & Taylor customers to discover the benefits of publisher direct ordering and build out their network of direct accounts, booksellers find that ordering through Pubnet and Pubeasy can significantly lower their cost of goods,” said Hill. Recent findings from the American Booksellers Association’s ABACUS survey of bookseller finances shows a 2 percent overall decrease in cost of goods for independents in the past few years, which has largely been attributed to more publisher direct ordering — savings that go directly to the bottom line.”

For more information, booksellers can contact Hill.