By Elizabeth Dubos
Book Outlet is a book lover’s paradise. It is an online retailer that sells books at a discounted rate. The books are listed with a 50-90% discount, so customers can save a lot of money off of the original list price. Book Outlet offers numerous genres for all types of book lovers, including art, biographies, graphic novels, cooking, education, foreign language, gardening, medical, true crime, romance, children’s, middle-grade, young adult fiction, and more! The company ensures that the books will always be new or in good condition because they receive publisher overstocks. The books are marked down because major publishers sell Book Outlet their returns or excess inventory. Additionally, they offer a rewards system to help you save more money. Book Outlet also offers a 10% student discount, so all you have to do is verify your student status to get the discount. The company’s mission is to, “make your experience enjoyable and ultimately save you money.”
Disclaimer: This experience happened in October 2019.
My experience: Book Outlet offers free shipping on orders over $35.00; I saw this as a challenge of how many books I could find in order to receive free shipping. I began my book buying journey in the Young Adult section where I found recently published (within the last year) and bestselling books for sale. I enjoyed that Book Outlet offered books in different formats because I liked the variety. For instance, I selected books with library binding, paperback, and hardcovers. I was impressed that Book Outlet offered softcovers, boxed sets, and pocketbooks for readers too. Next, I enjoyed that the process of adding books to the cart because it was easy and, in the cart, it shows you how much money you’re saving by purchasing with Book Outlet. This was one of my favorite features because it reassured me that I made the right financial decision. I purchased 10 books and saved over $100! The checkout process fairly easy; I put in all the necessary information and received a confirmation email. In the course of a few days I received an email with the tracking information. About two weeks after my initial purchase I received my package filled with literary wonders! However, the United State FOB (freight-on-board) location is in New York and I live in Florida, so I was a little unsure why the shipping took so long. Plus, when I received the package the box was severely damaged with dents and holes. I nearly had a heart-attack because I thought the books were damaged. Alas, they were not! I would give Book Outlet a 4/5 stars; the only reason I docked a star was the wait to receive the books and the damage to my package. Book Outlet is extraordinary, and I would highly recommend them to friends and family. I know I am definitely going to purchase from this company again.
Edited by Kristina Drendel