Literature just a click away

Believing that bookshops still play a major role in the cultural and literary enrichment of a society, the ReLI – Rede de Livrarias Independentes (the Network of Independent Bookshops) was founded as an association comprising bookshops throughout Portugal with no connection to the networks and chains of the large publishing houses and booksellers. Through its intervention with society and public authorities, ReLI strives to protect and support the small bookshops that are facing huge hardship given the crisis in the book market, which puts their very existence at risk.

In partnership with the Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda (INCM), ReLI contacted us to carry out a project that would provide small bookshops with access to digital resources and awaken readers’ attention to new forms of acquiring books, beyond the large publishing groups. As a result, we developed the new ReLI marketplace platform, a website where all the member bookshops can upload their catalogue and receive orders and reservations. Through a user-friendly interface, each bookshop can provide information about the books they have available (new, second-hand and rare editions), bringing advantages as a digital contact point for the consumer.

Users have four search options: new books, second-hand books, rare books or search by title, which will show all the bookshops that have the book with the requested title available. In just a few clicks, the user can formally reserve or order the book and set the collection date from the respective bookshop. In addition to book search, users can also find out the nearest independent bookshops to their location, seeking to increase the awareness of small bookstores among consumers when they select bookshops to purchase their books.

With a simple and user-friendly backoffice, ReLI, in association with INCM, has helped bring the public closer to the small bookshops and their wide-ranging, and very often exclusive, catalogues.