McKAY's

Name

McKAY's

Legal name

McKAY's

Website

https://mckaybooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Bookstore & Record Store

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Entertainment Memorabilia Retail (Film/TV/Music) (CRALAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gaming Collectibles, Merchandise & Toys Retail (CRACAFAI), Toys & Action Figures Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAL)

Keywords

• Used bookstore retail
• Buy sell trade
• Used media resale
• Record store
• Gift cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Used Goods: McKAY's generates revenue by purchasing used items (books, music, movies, video games, toys, electronics, instruments) from customers and reselling them at higher prices. Customers receive cash or store credit (trade) for their items, with the company offering a lower cash percentage versus higher store credit value. This creates a circular economy model where inventory is continuously replenished by customer submissions.
2. Gift Cards: Sale of physical and digital gift cards at retail locations and through the website. Digital gift cards are delivered via email within 48 hours of purchase. Gift cards can be redeemed at any McKAY's location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

McKAY's buys, sells, and trades previously owned books, music, movies, video games, electronics, toys, collectibles, and instruments across four physical retail stores. Customers bring in used items and receive cash or store credit based on the company's assessed resale value, with the company then reselling these items at a markup to other customers. The company supplements retail sales with gift cards (physical and digital) and a Teacher Trade Program that grants free store credit to public school teachers.

Product overview

McKAY's is a single-location unified used bookstore and record store with multiple operating locations across Tennessee and North Carolina. The core product is a used merchandise retail business that buys, sells, and trades previously owned books, music, movies, video games, electronics, toys, and collectibles. Key operational services include the Sell & Trade Service (offering cash or store credit for incoming items through Day Orders, Drop Off Orders, and Large Orders), Gift Cards (both physical and digital), and a Teacher Trade Program providing free store credit to public school teachers. The company was founded in 1974 and currently operates four locations in Chattanooga, Nashville, Winston-Salem, and Mebane, following the closure of its Knoxville store in May 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• McKAY's Used Bookstore & Record Store Retail storefront business that buys, sells, and trades previously owned books, music, movies, video games, electronics, toys, collectibles, and instruments. Operates four brick-and-mortar locations in Tennessee (Chattanooga, Nashville) and North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Mebane). In-store purchases only with cash, credit card, checks under $50 with valid ID, or store trade credit.
• Sell & Trade Service

Quantifiable outcome

• McKAY's brings in approximately 10,000 items per day from customers

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is the largest US bookstore chain, carrying new books alongside music, movies, toys, and games across ~600 stores plus a robust e-commerce channel. Broad incumbent overlapping with the books and media side of McKAY's assortment, though not a buy-sell-trade operator.
• GameStop: GameStop is the largest US specialty retailer of video games, consoles, and entertainment merchandise, with both physical stores and a growing e-commerce channel. Comparable on the video-game side of McKAY's assortment, though GameStop focuses on new/used games while McKAY's spans broader media.

Direct peers

• Half Price Books: Half Price Books is the largest US chain of new and used book, music, movie, and game retailers with ~125 stores, operating the same buy-sell-trade model as McKAY's across the same media categories. The most direct comparable in business model, customer value proposition, and assortment breadth.
• 2nd & Charles: 2nd & Charles is a used book, music, movie, video game, and collectibles retailer operating as a subsidiary of Books-A-Million. Directly comparable buy-sell-trade format across the same media categories McKAY's carries, though with corporate backing.
• BookOff USA: BookOff is a Japanese-owned used bookstore and media chain with US locations in the NYC/NJ area, buying and selling used books, manga, CDs, DVDs, video games, and electronics. Same buy-sell-trade model and similar category mix to McKAY's.
• Strand Bookstore: Strand is an iconic NYC independent used and new bookstore with deep collector/rare book expertise and a famous '18 miles of books' treasure-hunt experience. Comparable as a regional destination bookstore with curated used inventory, though more book-focused than McKAY's.
• Powell's City of Books: Powell's is the largest independent bookstore in the US, headquartered in Portland, OR, carrying new and used books across a 'treasure-hunt' model similar in spirit to McKAY's. Comparable as a destination bookstore with used inventory and regional brand dominance.
• Amoeba Music: Amoeba Music is one of the largest independent record stores in the US, with locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, specializing in used and new vinyl, CDs, and movies. Comparable as a high-volume used media destination store, though music-focused rather than multi-category.
• Bull Moose Music: Bull Moose is a New England-based chain of used-entertainment stores carrying books, music, movies, video games, and collectibles with a buy-sell-trade model. Direct competitor in format, category mix, and regional destination-store positioning.

Emerging players

• ThriftBooks: ThriftBooks is the largest online seller of used books, operating as a national e-commerce platform with a print-on-demand and bulk-purchase model. Not a direct physical competitor, but represents the online used-books channel McKAY's has chosen not to enter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mckaysbooks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/McKays
• Facebookfacebook.com/McKayUsedBooksCDs
• TikToktiktok.com/@mckaysbooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mckay-used-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McKAY's