The Lireka universal bookstore aims to facilitate access to all books in French throughout the world thanks to its catalog of more than a million titles and free delivery to all countries.. One year after its launch, this new French book player already has more than 17,000 customers in 115 countries and forecasts a turnover of 5 million euros in 2022.
Already 180,000 books sold in 115 countries in one year ! So far, the two million French expatriates and the 250 million French speakers established outside France had difficulty obtaining books : no bookstore nearby, a reduced catalog, expensive books and very long lead times… Most were resigned to ordering from Amazon, become in a few years the leading exporter of books in French, but the prices displayed on this site are increased by significant shipping costs for international shipments... Born from the meeting between a team of former Amazon employees and the independent bookstore Arthaud in Grenoble, Lireka is the contraction of “read” and “eureka”. Launched on September 27, 2021, the new online bookstore promotes the French language internationally with a vast catalog of books : romans, children's books, tests, BD, sleeves, travel guides, school books… It is above all the first online bookstore to offer more than a million books in French with free delivery worldwide. (0,01 € in France), with prices and payments in local currency, benefiting from the advice and selections of a large independent French bookstore. With, finally, safe shipments in careful packaging and responsive customer service.
Next step : fundraising
For the founders of Lireka, it is possible to create a model for the independent bookstore allowing it to compete with e-commerce giants and large specialized brands. This hybrid model combines the advantages of the physical bookstore, locale, friendly, with a soul and know-how, with the strengths of the online bookstore, which is universal and technological with, she, know-how in digital marketing. Ensemble, Lireka and Arthaud strengthen each other by sharing their stock and developing a common partnership with carriers. Lireka aims to become a major player in international book sales. To finance its growth, its co-founders are now considering fundraising in 2023. The objective will be to accelerate growth by increasing the available stock to bring it to 100,000 unique titles (against 80,000 currently) and by recruiting new employees in Grenoble. Lireka has already created nine order preparer positions, a bookseller position in charge of supplies and a customer service manager position, all based in Grenoble.
