In Bois-Colombes the warehouse is based strictly dedicated to communities: with a range of 3000 references available, ranging from children’s books (first reads, documentaries, albums, etc.) to beautiful adult books, covering various themes such as nature, gardening, sewing and cooking, without forgetting art and sports books.
“ Access to the Expodif warehouse encourages direct encounters with the works, offering an opportunity to exchange in a more personal way », assures Melanie Saint Gal, sales manager. “ Our customers consult the books on site and then have the opportunity to leave immediately with their order. It’s always worth visiting us », she smiles.
The problem lies in the travel time and the personal investment that this trip represents. To overcome these constraints, the company built a online solution intended to simplify the lives of communities. Catherine Pottiersales manager, emphasizes that the development was built based on the expectations and needs of professionals.
“Navigation on the site is carried out according to different criteria: age, theme, but also publisher for the most meticulous. This involves going beyond a difficult-to-handle Excel file, while offering regular updates, which make the catalog more lively. » In addition, any work presented displays the available stock, giving a real visibility on the volumes sold. This and all the usual metadata, gathered on a technical sheet: summary of the book, dimensions, number of pages, year of publication, etc.
Everything is coupled with a completely editorialized newsletter where your favorites are highlighted. “This online accessibility allows us to also work with libraries or media libraries abroad, particularly in Belgium.“, she specifies.
But if the sale takes place online – according to the classic methods of a public purchase – Catherine Pottier also travels to neighboring departments, to deliver And meet customers. “It is obviously more appreciable for them to meet an interlocutor“, she insists. In this process, she also goes to meet partners in order to present “selections of works adapted to the sizes of establishments. This approach often includes books for children, and for larger establishments, works for adults“.
This customer monitoring has led to more than 1000 establishments are regular partners. “The vast majority opt for the online solution, which responds well to the growing presence of the offer on the internet“, she emphasizes.
The ordering policy therefore seeks to meet the specific needs of libraries and communities. With a minimum of €150, an order is automatically validated: “However, it is possible for us to directly validate orders with a lower amount. Likewise, we adapt to the imperatives: communities operate with a defined budget. If we are missing one of the titles they want, the amounts can be carried forward for future orders», continues Mélanie Saint-Gal.
Libraries and media libraries thus benefit from a flexibility which is in addition to the reduced sale prices. “To complete a collection or respond to a specific request, we have what we need to do. But in no case will we replace a bookstore for traditional purchases.»
However, like any supplier, Expodif observes a real seasonality. “With the Olympic Games, everyone is asking for sport — whether young people or adults», laughs his colleague. Other themes have experienced seasonal popularity… for several years: this is the case for books around emotions.
“In schools and media libraries, the resounding success of The color of emotions, by Anna Llenas has worked miracles. This work, published by Glénat jeunesse in 2014, has sold nearly 880,000 copies, depending on its versions. “Any book that relates to emotions benefits from this windfall», observes Catherine Pottier. “In the space of two weeks, the same media library placed two orders with us: the first around Olympic sports, the second for works dealing with emotions», she illustrates.
And of course, events such as Women’s Day, Christmas, Easter and different seasons also influence demand. “Our strength also lies in the fact that we let’s make selections directly communicated to our customers: there are a number of volunteers in small libraries, who are overwhelmed by technology and ask us directly to provide them with pre-established lists, to facilitate their acquisitions», she concludes.
Photo credits: Expodif
