SE-ED aims to cash in on digital market
SE-Education (SE-ED) aims to become the country's largest e-bookshop operator by next year by revamping its distribution channel through a "total solutions" concept.
Managing director Thanong Chotisorayuth told The Nation yesterday that the total solutions concept would include the integration of its offline and online outlets. SE-ED also expects to have up to 457 “SE-ED Book Centres” by the end of this year, up from 348 branches last year.
This year, SE-ED joined forces with Asia Books to establish its first “SE-ED Book Outlet” at Chamchuri Square.
EXPANSION PLANS
Thanong explained that the company was focusing on expanding the number of these discount outlets because they did not require much investment in construction and design, as each branch is only about 100 square metres, while a book centre needed approximately 2,000 to 3,000 sqm.
Apart from investment in traditional bookstores, the company has earmarked about Bt10 million for its software license and infrastructure to set up online services, including e-shopping, through its website, mobile applications and e-books. SE-ED hopes this concept will attract both customers and publishers.
Thanong added that the e-book service would be a priority in next year’s marketing plan thanks to a high market penetration of smart devices like tablet computers and smart phones; the development of 3G broadband technology; and the government’s one-tablet-per-child policy.
Since October, SE-ED has been organising workshops and seminars with hundreds of local publishing houses in order to educate them about e-books and how they should get them ready for the new generation of readers.
The company will enforce digital rights management so there is no copyright violation and will make the books available in both pdf and ePUB (electronic publication) formats.
SE-ED will kick off its online bookstores next month by offering 1,000 e-books for download via a number of platforms including tablet computers and smart phones.
The company expects to have more than 5,000 e-books on the virtual bookshelf by the end of next year, becoming the country’s largest e-bookshop operator, Thanong said.
