Study by Bookbot:

How reading behavior has changed in Austria

Bookbot reveals a study on World Book Day: second-hand book treasures are booming!

(Bild: Bookbot)

April 23 is World Book Day. Nothing has changed the world as much as the power of the printed word. Bookbot, re-commerce pioneer in the online trade of second-hand books, is celebrating this day with the publication of its new study. This not only sheds light on the reading habits of Austrians, but also reveals a social trend towards greater sustainability and thriftiness.

The test subjects sometimes state that they want to buy used books instead of new ones for the sake of the environment and saving money. On this basis, Bookbot is growing from year to year and encourages both buyers and sellers to drive the green change in the book trade in a sustainable way.

Survey on the boom in used book treasures

(Bild: Bookbot)

(Bild: Bookbot)

Study confirms: Second-hand book market polarized
Bookbot surveyed more than 1000 people about their book-buying habits. The majority of respondents stated that they buy their second-hand books online: 45% of participants said they buy 2 to 3 books per month, 20% even 4 or more. Sustainability and thriftiness are clearly very important here.

We encourage our customers to make conscious purchasing decisions and by promoting the purchase of high-quality used books, we support the principle of sharing knowledge and culture.

Dominik Gazdoš, CEO von Bookbot

Bild: Bookbot

If you ask Austrians about the item they buy most often second-hand, it is definitely the book. This is because almost 70 percent of study participants said that they prefer to buy used books compared to all other consumer goods such as electronics, household items or clothing.

This is Bookbot

The concept. Buying and selling books in one place, quickly and effortlessly - this is the innovative start-up's recipe for success. Bookbot is a second-hand online bookstore and was founded in 2019 by CEO Dominik Gazdoš. With its concept, the company sends a strong signal of sustainability and appreciation for literature.
How it works. Bookbot makes the online book trade more sustainable and brings high-quality, used books back into circulation. Customers experience absolute convenience on the sales page. Sellers simply submit a photo of their books and Bookbot takes care of the rest of the process, even collecting them in Vienna in the form of the "Book Boten" (Booktaxi).
The 350 warehouse employees now assess the condition of each individual book, clean the books manually and thus ensure that each book is offered in the best possible condition. On a monthly average, more than 130,000 books found their way to new owners via Bookbot in 2023 and a total of more than 3 million books have been sent back into circulation since the company was founded. Around 15,000 books are added to the online offering every day. The international hub is the 5170 m2 warehouse in Prague.
Wide selection. The Bookbot e-shop offers buyers and sellers a user-friendly platform for a fast and secure shipping and sales process and guarantees fair sales prices thanks to extensive data processing. The wide selection of book genres ranges from classics and bestsellers to old treasures, cult comics and specialist publications. The young company operates in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Web.bookbot.at
Award. Bookbot achieved a place in the prestigious "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2023" ranking. Ranked 10th among the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Central Europe, Bookbot was recognized by Deloitte for its innovative performance and dynamic growth in the technology industry.

Potential discovered: conscious consumption
Furthermore, the potential for used books on the market appears to be enormous. 40 percent of respondents stated that they would buy used books if they were significantly cheaper than new books and 31 percent if they were in perfect condition. This means that over 70 percent of the study participants stated that they would buy second-hand books under these specific conditions.

(Bild: Bookbot)

(Bild: Bookbot)

However, second-hand products not only have a sustainable advantage, but also a financial one. After all, 44 percent say they want to save money by buying second-hand, 30 percent say they buy for reasons of sustainability and 22 percent because there are rare rarities to be found.

Bookbot initiates green page turn
In the study, a remarkable 44 percent of respondents said they wanted to get rid of at least some of their books. The online platform Bookbot provides a remedy here.