Textbookrental.ca is a textbook rental service company, based in Canada. Its services include textbook rentals,[1][2] used textbook sales, a buyback program, and instore kiosks in university bookstores.
 | |
| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Brandon Luft CEO, Gershon Hurwitz Co-founder, Mike Stock Co-founder. |
| Industry | Technology Education |
| Products | Online textbook rental. |
| URL | http://www.textbookrental.ca/ |
History edit
Textbookrental.ca was established in 2010 by entrepreneurs Gershon Hurwitz and Mike Stock,[3] in response to student concerns about the rising cost of textbooks.[4] By 2011, the online store was selling textbooks at a discount and renting texts, allowing searching by textbook ISBN, author, and title, selecting a 2, 3, or 6 month (semester) rental period, and shipping options. Once the semester is over, books are returned with a free return shipping label,[5] or in person at 11 depots.[6]
The company also set up a service to buy back used books,[6] either by paying cash for books dropped off at a depot location near campus, by providing a free shipping label from the website to ship the books to the company.[7]
In 2013, Textbookrental.ca raised $415,000 of seed funding, mainly from Seek Capital, to expand its business.[8] In 2014 it continues to be privately owned and is managed by the founders together with an executive team.
Partnerships edit
Textbookrental.ca has teamed up with Conestoga college Ontario to provide students with an online rental option. Students can rent their textbooks online 24 hours a day.[9] Later the company made arrangements with other colleges, including Lakehead[10] and Dalhousie.[11] In British Columbia, the website collaborates with campusconnected.ca, a student classified ad website.[12] Textbookrental.ca has partnered with Indigo to provide online rentals and second hand books.[13][14]
References edit
- ^ Andrew Tai, "How to Stop Big Companies from Ripping You Off". Huffington Post.
- ^ "Chapters Indigo lance une e-boutique de manuels scolaires". Actualitté.com September 3, 2012
- ^ "How to save money on textbooks–rent them". Macleans.ca. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "Why you should try renting your textbooks". Moneyville. Toronto Star. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "Pat Foran on how students can rent their textbooks". CTV News. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ a b "To rent or to own?". Silhouette. McMaster University. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "How to cut the cost of textbooks". The Globe and Mail. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "TextbookRental.ca snares $415k seed cash, just in time for school". Stockhouse Editorial. July 29, 2013.
- ^ "Your Bookstore and You". Conestoga College. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ Jon Pukila. "Rent a book and save big"[permanent dead link]. The Argus.
- ^ "Dalhousie students have option to rent textbook". News 95.7 Radio.
- ^ "Connecting campuses with a clear vision" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. BC Local.by TIM PETRUK January 30, 201
- ^ "A Little Research May Save Your Textbook Budget". Money on Trees.
- ^ " Jessica Alba serves up entrepreneurial advice". SEAN STANLEIGH, The Globe and Mail, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012