Random House has instituted “2-Day Transit,” a new shipping policy aimed at helping independent booksellers during this holiday season. Beginning Monday, November 21, orders received in the Random House order system by 3:00 p.m. EST will ship no later than the following business day, with transit time of no more than two days (from the publisher’s docks in either Westminster, Maryland, or Crawfordsville, Indiana, to the bookstore’s door).
“All of us, and in particular our sales reps, who are so crucial to Random House’s unwavering support of physical books and physical bookstores, want to help booksellers have a very profitable holiday season,” said Ruth Liebmann, vice president, director, account marketing at Random House. “As they work with buyers, and give seasonal presentations to store staff, faster shipping will be an important part of our message this November and December.”
In an environment where all retailers have to be especially careful with their inventory dollars, Random House said it wants to be supportive of independent booksellers by providing faster replenishment, which will mean fewer lost sales because titles are out of stock. The publisher also hopes that the two-day transit policy will translate into more bookstore staff time on the selling floor instead of time on a computer figuring out where and when to order stock.
Because winter weather and transportation system breakdowns are out of its control, Random House said that two-day transit is the expectation, not a guarantee. The Random House sales reps will be gathering feedback from booksellers throughout the holiday season to help evaluate the impact of the new program on indie businesses.
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