Internet Bookshop

What Internet Bookshop does

Internet Bookshop (IBS.it), legally LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l., is an Italian e-commerce platform founded in 1998 and headquartered at Via Maurizio Quadrio 17, Milan. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary subject to the direction and coordination of Feltrinelli S.p.A., part of the Gruppo Feltrinelli conglomerate, which also includes Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Feltrinelli Education, and a chain of physical bookstores. IBS serves Italian consumers through a direct-to-consumer online marketplace, with a 51-100 employee headcount and a pickup point network integrated with Feltrinelli's physical store footprint. Its customer base is horizontal, targeting general Italian consumers for reading, entertainment, and gifting, plus students and educators using government cultural vouchers.

The product portfolio is multi-category and centered on cultural media. Core offerings include physical books, eBooks and audiobooks delivered through the Rakuten Kobo ecosystem, DVDs and Blu-ray, CDs and vinyl records, Kobo eReader hardware, toys and games (LEGO, Funko POP, Hasbro), and stationery (Moleskine, Legami, STABILO); secondary offerings include used books, collectible and vintage books, and signed editions. Revenue is generated primarily through transactional product sales, augmented by the Kobo Plus digital content subscription, the CartaEffe loyalty program, and Happy Card gift cards. The platform accepts the Italian government's Carta Cultura, Carta Merito, and Carta del Docente voucher programs. The technology stack is a standard e-commerce storefront with digital content delivery and Kobo integration; no proprietary AI, public API, or developer platform was disclosed, and the company is privately held with no independent venture or private equity backing.

Name

Internet Bookshop

Legal name

LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l.

Website

https://ibs.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Internet Bookshop (IBS.it) is a Milan-based Italian e-commerce platform and Feltrinelli Group subsidiary that sells books, eBooks, audiobooks, films, music, games, and stationery to Italian consumers via the Rakuten Kobo ecosystem and government cultural voucher programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Book and Media Retail

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941)

SIC

Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Online bookstore
• Digital content retail
• Media e-commerce
• Book distribution
• Consumer publishing retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Asiago

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Physical Media: Sales of physical books, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl records, games, toys, and stationery through the IBS.it e-commerce platform
2. Digital Content Sales: Sales of eBooks and audiobook downloads, including Kobo Plus subscription service for digital content
3. Kobo eReader and Hardware Sales: Sales of Rakuten Kobo e-readers and related hardware devices
4. Loyalty and Gift Card Program: CartaEffe loyalty program and Happy Card gift cards generating recurring customer engagement and prepaid revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Internet Bookshop (IBS.it) is an Italian direct-to-consumer online retailer selling physical books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs/Blu-rays, CDs/vinyl, toys and games, and stationery, complemented by Kobo eReader hardware, the Kobo Plus digital subscription, loyalty and gift card services, and a network of Feltrinelli-integrated pickup points. Operated by LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l. and directed by Feltrinelli S.p.A., it serves Italian consumers nationally and supports payments via credit card, PayPal, and government cultural vouchers.

Product overview

IBS.it (Internet Bookshop) is a comprehensive Italian e-commerce platform operated by La Feltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l., part of the Feltrinelli Group. The platform operates as a multi-category marketplace offering physical and digital products centered around books, media, and entertainment. The core product portfolio includes physical books (Libri), eBooks with Kobo integration, audiobooks (Audiolibri), Kobo eReaders with Kobo Plus subscription, Film/DVD/Blu-ray, CD and Vinyl records with exclusive editions, Toys and Games (LEGO, Funko, Hasbro), and Stationery (Moleskine, Legami). Secondary offerings include Used Books (Libri Usati), Collectible Books (Libri Vintage), Gift Cards (Happy Card), and Pickup Points for order collection. The platform accepts Italian government vouchers (Carta Cultura, Carta del Docente) and operates the CartaEffe loyalty program. The ecosystem is connected to the Rakuten Kobo ecosystem for digital content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBS.it Online Storefront Italian e-commerce storefront operated by LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l., aggregating physical and digital cultural products (books, media, entertainment, stationery) for direct purchase by Italian consumers.
• Physical Books (Libri) Physical books across Italian and foreign language titles, fiction, non-fiction, children's books, textbooks, university texts, and signed/collectible editions sold directly to Italian consumers.
• eBooks Digital books (eBooks) downloadable on Kobo eReaders and Kobo apps, sourced from multiple publishers in multiple languages, sold directly to Italian consumers.
• Audiobooks (Audiolibri) Digital audiobooks available for streaming and download to Italian consumers through the Kobo-integrated platform.
• Kobo eReader devices Physical Rakuten Kobo e-reader devices (hardware) sold to Italian consumers via the IBS.it storefront, including reading-focused and colour models.
• Kobo Plus subscription Monthly recurring subscription giving Italian consumers unlimited access to a catalogue of eBooks and audiobooks via the Rakuten Kobo-powered platform.
• Film, DVD and Blu-ray Physical movies and TV series on DVD and Blu-ray, including Steelbook editions and TV-series box sets, sold directly to Italian consumers.
• Music CDs and Vinyl (Vinili) Music releases on CD and vinyl formats, including Feltrinelli/IBS exclusive limited editions, sold directly to Italian consumers.
• Toys and Games (Giochi e Giocattoli) Toys, games, and collectibles (including LEGO, Funko POP, Hasbro, board games, educational toys, and video games) sold directly to Italian consumers via IBS.it.
• Stationery and School Supplies (Cartoleria) Stationery and school supplies (notebooks, agendas, pens, pencils, backpacks, pencil cases) from brands including Moleskine, Legami, and STABILO, sold directly to Italian consumers.
• Used Books (Libri Usati) Pre-owned books across fiction, non-fiction, mystery, fantasy, and children's categories sold at discounted prices directly to Italian consumers.
• Collectible and Vintage Books (Libri Vintage) Rare, collectible, and vintage books including first editions, signed copies, and out-of-print titles from classic authors, sold directly to Italian collectors.
• Happy Card Gift Cards (Buoni Regalo) Prepaid digital and physical gift cards (Happy Card) usable on the IBS.it storefront, sold to Italian consumers for gifting.
• Pickup Points (Punti di Ritiro) In-person order collection service allowing Italian customers to pick up online orders at physical pickup points integrated with the Feltrinelli bookstore chain.
• CartaEffe Loyalty Program Feltrinelli Group loyalty card programme providing points, rewards, and exclusive benefits to frequent Italian customers across the IBS.it storefront and partner stores.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Feltrinelli S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company providing direction and coordination. LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop S.r.l. is subject to direction and coordination of Feltrinelli S.p.A. Part of Gruppo Feltrinelli which includes Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Feltrinelli Education, and physical bookstore chain.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Librerie Giunti / Giunti al Punto: Giunti al Punto is the Italian bookstore chain of Giunti Editore, with an integrated online storefront selling books, stationery, toys, and multimedia — directly mirroring IBS's diversified cultural-products mix and omnichannel positioning in Italy.
• Hoepli: Hoepli is a long-standing Milan-based bookstore and e-commerce retailer specializing in technical, professional, and academic books plus general titles, comparable to IBS in its broad book assortment and direct-to-consumer online model.
• Mondadori Store: Mondadori Store is the retail arm of Italy's largest publisher (Mondadori Group) and operates a national bookstore chain combined with a strong online storefront, directly competing with IBS on Italian-language book sales, eBooks, and exclusive editions.
• Libraccio: Libraccio is an Italian bookstore chain with a strong e-commerce presence especially in used, school, and university textbooks, making it a direct comparator to IBS in physical and discounted book retail, particularly via the libraccio.it platform.

Broad incumbents

• Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is the US analog of IBS-plus-Feltrinelli: a national bookstore chain combined with a large online store, its own Nook e-reader platform, and a loyalty program — relevant for benchmarking IBS's omnichannel and digital strategy.
• Amazon Italy: Amazon.it is the dominant online books and general merchandise retailer in Italy and the primary competitive force IBS faces on price, catalog depth, and Prime fulfillment speed in books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, and music.
• Feltrinelli (lafeltrinelli.it): The Feltrinelli physical bookstore chain is IBS's sister brand under the same parent (Feltrinelli S.p.A.); the two share catalog, loyalty (CartaEffe), and pickup-point operations, making them comparable omnichannel book retailers even though they sit on different sides of the digital/physical divide.

Emerging players

• Rakuten Kobo: Rakuten Kobo is both IBS's digital content partner (powering eBooks, audiobooks, Kobo Plus subscription and Kobo e-readers sold through IBS.it) and a direct competitor via its own multi-country e-bookstore, making it a uniquely intertwined peer for IBS's digital segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IBS.it
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibs.it
• Xx.com/IBS_it

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Internet Bookshop