Thrift Books
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Thrift Books firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thrift Books
- Legal name
- Thrift Books Global, LLC
- Website
- https://thriftbooks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thrift Books industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Book Retail
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Used Merchandise Retailers (45951), Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers (424920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Books, Media & Entertainment Resale (CRAFAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Books, Media & Entertainment Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAM), Book Trade Wholesale (Print Books) (CRAOALAA)
Keywords
Where Thrift Books is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Thrift Books business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Used): Primary revenue stream from selling used books. Books are sourced, assessed for quality, and resold at discounted prices. Each book is individually assessed for condition and priced accordingly.
- Book Sales (New): Sale of new books alongside used inventory, providing customers with full range of options.
- ReadingRewards Redemption: Loyalty program where customers earn points redeemable for free books, driving repeat purchases and customer retention.
- Library Advantage Program: Special pricing and payment terms for library institutions, offering exclusive discounts, flexible credit options, and bulk ordering capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Reader Level - Base tier for all active program participants |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Bookworm Level - For customers with $75+ in qualifying purchases over 12 months |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Literati Level - For customers with $150+ in qualifying purchases over 12 months |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Literati Elite Level - For customers with $250+ in qualifying purchases over 12 months |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book Condition Grades |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Thrift Books product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ThriftBooks sells new and used books online through its own e-commerce website and mobile app, offering more than 13 million titles with condition-based grading and free US shipping on orders over $20. The company supplements book sales with a tiered ReadingRewards loyalty program, a LibraryAdvantage B2B purchasing program for libraries, and a BuyBack program that lets customers resell books. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through owned digital channels, with a separate dedicated program for institutional library customers.
Product overview
ThriftBooks operates as an online bookseller offering both new and used books through its primary e-commerce marketplace. The core platform features over 13 million titles with condition-based grading, free shipping on qualifying orders, and various shopping tools. The product portfolio includes a loyalty program (ReadingRewards) with tiered benefits, a dedicated B2B library purchasing program (LibraryAdvantage), a mobile shopping app with barcode scanning, digital gift cards, and a book buyback/resale program. The company positions itself around sustainability through recyclable packaging and book recycling/donation initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ThriftBooks Website
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 13 million titles available for purchase
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Thrift Books
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Thrift Books technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Thrift Books partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Libraries (LibraryAdvantage Partners)coreThriftBooks LibraryAdvantage program provides libraries exclusive discounted pricing on new and used books, flexible payment options with electronic invoicing and line of credit, catalog-ready MARC records, and order gridding for multi-branch distribution. The program was developed based on partner feedback and is now fully live nationwide following a successful beta launch in late 2025.
- American Library Association (ALA)coreThriftBooks exhibiting at ALA Annual Conference 2026 in Chicago to showcase LibraryAdvantage program to the broader library community and grow library partner base.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Thrift Books competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Better World Books: Online seller of new and used books with a social mission around literacy and sustainability. Directly competes with ThriftBooks in used book e-commerce, library partnerships, and donation-driven supply.
- Half Price Books: Chain of retail stores plus an online channel buying and selling new and used books, movies, and music. Comparable on used book sourcing, condition grading, and discounted pricing.
- Alibris: Online marketplace connecting buyers to sellers of new and used books, movies, and music. Comparable on used book catalog breadth and marketplace-style aggregation of inventory.
- AbeBooks: Online marketplace for new, used, rare, and out-of-print books, owned by Amazon. Directly comparable to ThriftBooks on product category, customer base (readers seeking affordable and rare titles), and e-commerce model.
- BookOutlet.com: Online retailer of deeply discounted new books, remaindered and overstock titles. Comparable on discounted book e-commerce and direct-to-consumer shipping model.
- Powell's Books: Iconic independent bookstore with a strong online used and new book presence, known for rare and out-of-print inventory. Directly comparable on used book e-commerce and rare title depth.
Emerging players
- Valore Books: Online marketplace for buying, renting, and selling textbooks with a focus on affordability. Comparable on price-driven book e-commerce, though narrower in category scope than ThriftBooks.
- Chegg: Online student-focused platform with textbook rental and purchase alongside study resources. Adjacent peer in book e-commerce, particularly around affordability-driven buyers and textbook segments.
Broad incumbents
- eBay: Large horizontal marketplace where many third-party sellers list new and used books, including rare and collectible titles. Comparable as a destination for used and rare book buyers, with broader category scope.
- Amazon Books: Amazon's books category spans new, used, and Kindle titles with Prime shipping. A broad incumbent that overlaps ThriftBooks on new book retail and competes indirectly via AbeBooks on used inventory.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Thrift Books social profiles
Digital presenceThrift Books financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thrift Books leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Thrift Books funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thrift Books M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Thrift Books
What does Thrift Books do?
ThriftBooks sells new and used books online through its own e-commerce website and mobile app, offering more than 13 million titles with condition-based grading and free US shipping on orders over $20. The company supplements book sales with a tiered ReadingRewards loyalty program, a LibraryAdvantage B2B purchasing program for libraries, and a BuyBack program that lets customers resell books. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through owned digital channels, with a separate dedicated program for institutional library customers.
Is Thrift Books a public or private company?
Thrift Books is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Thrift Books founded?
Thrift Books was founded in 2003. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Thrift Books based?
Thrift Books is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Thrift Books make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Used) is the primary driver. The others are book Sales (New), readingRewards Redemption and library Advantage Program.
Who are Thrift Books's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Better World Books, Half Price Books, Alibris, AbeBooks, BookOutlet.com and Powell's Books. Emerging players are Valore Books and Chegg. Broad incumbents are eBay and Amazon Books.
Does Thrift Books have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thrift Books.
What industry is Thrift Books in?
Thrift Books's product category is Online Book Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAGAF, Books, Media & Entertainment Resale, with a secondary code of CRAFADAM, Books, Media & Entertainment Inventory-led Online Retailers. Its NAICS code is 4592.