Amazon launches textbook rental service

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson and Barney Jopson:

Amazon.com has launched a textbook rental service, allowing US students to borrow print editions for a school term at up to 70 per cent off the price of new titles, but the education industry is expecting the growth of rentals to slow.

Book Industry Study Group research found that textbook rentals rose last year from 8 per cent of the market to 11 per cent, with a corresponding drop in new textbook sales, from 59 to 55 per cent. There is also a sizeable second-hand market in textbooks.

Cengage, one of the largest US college publishers, forecast that rentals could reach 26 per cent of new and used textbook sales by 2015 before flattening out. "I don't think [Amazon's entry] changes anything for us," said Ron Dunn, Cengage's chief executive.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at August 9, 2012 2:43 AM
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