La Bourse
Librairie La Bourse is a privately-held independent bookstore in Lyon, France, operating three storefronts selling new and secondhand books, manga, BD, music, and film media, alongside a buy-back and exchange service serving individual readers and collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What La Bourse does
Librairie La Bourse is a privately-held, independent bookstore founded in 1979 and headquartered in Lyon's 1st arrondissement, France. The company operates three storefronts — two general locations on rue Lanterne (9 and 13 bis) and a dedicated manga sub-brand called MangaLyon at 2 rue Joseph Serlin — selling new and secondhand books, manga, BD/comics, children's books, art and humanities titles, vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays. It serves individual readers, manga collectors, and music and film enthusiasts in Lyon, with a deliberate emphasis on rare, collectible, and used inventory as a differentiator versus chain bookstores and online retailers. A central operational feature is the Service Achat buy-back and exchange program, which accepts used books, manga, BD, CDs, vinyls, and DVDs in return for store credit (bon d'achat) or cash, providing both an ongoing inventory pipeline and a customer engagement mechanic.
The product offering is fundamentally a traditional physical retail assortment rather than a technology platform. The only meaningful technology infrastructure disclosed is a Google Sheets spreadsheet used by MangaLyon to publish real-time availability of complete manga series (intégrales), enabling collectors to confirm stock before visiting. The company also maintains a content-marketing blog with cultural articles on manga, BD, and literary topics, and an active presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), and TikTok.
The business model is direct-to-consumer retail with all transactions completed in physical stores — no e-commerce platform is in operation. Revenue streams consist of one-time sales of new and used media across multiple categories, plus a transaction-based buy-back service. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the only quantified example is manga buy-back at up to €3.50 in store credit or €2.50 in cash per item. With six employees across three storefronts, the operation is small and founder/family-controlled, with no external investors, no subsidiaries, no franchise structure, and no patents, certifications, or awards disclosed.
La Bourse firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Bourse
- Legal name
- Librairie La Bourse
- Website
- https://librairielabourse.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Librairie La Bourse is a privately-held independent bookstore in Lyon, France, operating three storefronts selling new and secondhand books, manga, BD, music, and film media, alongside a buy-back and exchange service serving individual readers and collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Bourse industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Bookstore Retail
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940), Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores (CRALAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF), Comic Books & Graphic Novel Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAH)
Keywords
Where La Bourse is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
La Bourse business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Sales - New and Used Books: Sale of new and used books across multiple categories including literature, manga, BD, children's books, art books, and sciences humaines. The store emphasizes its large selection of secondhand/used items.
- Manga Sales: Sale of new and used manga through MangaLyon location. Offers both new releases and rare/collectible editions, including complete series/integrales that are often difficult to complete.
- Music Media Sales: Sale of CDs and vinyl records across genres including pop, rock, electro, hip-hop, reggae, metal, alternative, soul, funk, RnB, jazz, and classical.
- Film Media Sales: Sale of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs featuring quality cinema from great directors.
- Buy-Back/Trade Service: Customers sell or exchange their used books, manga, BD, CDs, vinyls, and DVDs. Three options: store credit (no time limit), cash payment, or mixed option. Provides continuous inventory refresh and customer engagement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Manga Buy-Back Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
La Bourse product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Librairie La Bourse operates three physical retail locations in Lyon's 1st arrondissement selling new and used books, manga, BD (comics), CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, and Blu-Rays. The stores emphasize a curated mix of new releases and rare/secondhand items, with a dedicated manga specialty shop (MangaLyon) and a buyback/exchange service (Service Achat) that allows customers to sell or trade used cultural items for store credit or cash.
Product overview
La Bourse operates as a multi-location independent bookstore in Lyon's 1st arrondissement, consisting of two complementary branded locations: Librairie La Bourse at 9 and 13 bis rue Lanterne (selling literature, BD/comics, children's books, art, humanities, bibliophilia, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and music media), and MangaLyon at 2 rue Joseph Serlin (specializing in manga with both new releases and a large secondhand selection, including hard-to-find complete series/integrals). A key differentiator across all locations is the emphasis on secondhand and rare finds alongside new stock. The group also operates the Service Achat (buyback & exchange service), which accepts books, manga, BD, DVDs, CDs, and vinyles across both stores, offering customers cash or store credit in return. Established in 1979.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MangaLyon: Specialized manga bookstore offering new and used manga, including rare editions, complete series (intégrales), and buy-back/exchange services for manga collections
Products and services
- Librairie La Bourse (rue Lanterne locations) The primary brick-and-mortar bookstore at 9 rue Lanterne (1st floor) and 13 bis rue Lanterne in Lyon's 1st arrondissement, offering literature, BD/comics, children's books, art, sciences humaines, bibliophilia, DVDs, Blu-Rays, vinyls, and CDs, with a strong emphasis on secondhand/occasional items alongside new stock. Open Tuesday to Friday 10h30–19h and Saturday 10h–19h30.
- MangaLyon A dedicated manga specialty shop located at 2 rue Joseph Serlin (1st arrondissement of Lyon), featuring a large selection of new and secondhand manga, complete series/integrales (often hard-to-complete runs), and rare or out-of-print editions. Also operates a buyback and exchange service for manga. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10h30–19h. Real-time stock availability is accessible via Google Sheets.
- Service Achat (Buyback & Exchange Service) A buyback and exchange service accepting books (including children's books, novels, SF, crime fiction), BD/comics, manga, DVDs, Blu-Rays, CDs, and vinyls. The service offers three options: store credit (bon d'achat, no time limit), cash payment (selective), or a mixed option. Manga buyback offers up to €3.50 in store credit or €2.50 in cash per item.
Companies that use La Bourse
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
La Bourse technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
La Bourse partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
La Bourse competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cultura: French specialty retail chain carrying books, music, manga/BD, and stationery in physical stores plus online. Overlaps with La Bourse on category mix, but operates as a broad hobby/lifestyle incumbent rather than a curated bookstore.
- Fnac: France's largest multi-category cultural retailer (books, music, video, manga) with both physical stores and a strong e-commerce platform. Comparable assortment to La Bourse, but Fnac is a mass-market incumbent rather than a curated specialty store.
- Amazon France: Dominant e-commerce platform for books, manga, music, and film in France. Indirect competitor on selection and pricing for both new and used cultural media; La Bourse competes via curation and physical experience rather than price or breadth.
Direct peers
- RecycLivre: French online-first used book retailer that buys books from individuals and resells them. Highly comparable on the buy-back/exchange value proposition that La Bourse operates in-store, but operates digitally rather than physically.
- Momox: European reCommerce platform (books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl) that buys used media from consumers via cash or credit. Closely comparable on the used-media buy-back model that is core to La Bourse's differentiation.
- BD Fugue: French comic books (BD) specialist retailer operating physical stores and e-commerce. Comparable to La Bourse on the BD/comics category and on serving collectors seeking rare editions.
- Gibert Joseph: French independent-affiliated bookstore chain specializing in new and used books, manga, BD, and music/film media. Closest direct peer: same brick-and-mortar used/new book model and similar category mix, though Gibert is much larger and operates nationwide.
- Momie Manga: Independent French manga specialty store and online retailer with a curated selection and active community. Direct peer to MangaLyon's manga focus and rare/complete-series positioning.
Regional players
- Bookoff: Japan-origin used bookstore chain with locations in the US and Asia. Comparable on a used-book-heavy, manga-emphasizing specialty model; not a French competitor but the most internationally analogous used-book chain.
Emerging players
- Vinted / Rakuten France: Online marketplaces where French consumers buy and sell used books, manga, vinyl, and DVDs directly. Compete with La Bourse's buy-back service by enabling peer-to-peer resale at scale, particularly relevant for collectors seeking rare items.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Bourse social profiles
Digital presenceLa Bourse financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Bourse leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
La Bourse funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Bourse 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 La Bourse
What does La Bourse do?
Librairie La Bourse operates three physical retail locations in Lyon's 1st arrondissement selling new and used books, manga, BD (comics), CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, and Blu-Rays. The stores emphasize a curated mix of new releases and rare/secondhand items, with a dedicated manga specialty shop (MangaLyon) and a buyback/exchange service (Service Achat) that allows customers to sell or trade used cultural items for store credit or cash.
Is La Bourse a public or private company?
La Bourse is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was La Bourse founded?
La Bourse was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is La Bourse based?
La Bourse is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Bourse make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales - New and Used Books are the primary driver. The others are manga Sales, music Media Sales, film Media Sales and buy-Back/Trade Service.
Who are La Bourse's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cultura, Fnac and Amazon France. Direct peers are RecycLivre, Momox, BD Fugue, Gibert Joseph and Momie Manga. Bookoff is listed as a regional player. Vinted / Rakuten France is listed as an emerging player.
Does La Bourse have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Bourse.
What industry is La Bourse in?
La Bourse's product category is Independent Bookstore Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAB, Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores, with a secondary code of CRALAAAF, Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail. Its NAICS code is 4592 and its SIC code is 5940.