Zondervan recently introduced Symtio, a proprietary digital merchandising system designed to respond to the changing needs of consumers and help CBA retailers compete in the fast-growing digital world.
Zondervan President and CEO Moe Girkins introduced Symtio before an audience of several hundred CBA retailers at the International Christian Retailer Show in Orlando, Fla., the annual trade show for the industry.
“We live in a digital world and shopping preferences are changing as many consumers now want to buy their books the way they buy their music,” said Girkins. “The question has been: how do we satisfy everyone? How do we meet consumers’ needs by offering our content in a digital format without turning our backs on the CBA? We believe Symtio is the answer.”
Symtio is the publishing industry’s first patented digital merchandising solution for retail, allowing consumers to purchase digital content at a bricks-and-mortar store. Symtio functions the same way as downloading music online. Consumers purchase a merchandise card in store for a specific audio book or ebook title. They take the card home and go to www.symtio.com where they enter the code on the back of the card. The book immediately begins downloading in the format of their choice. Ebooks can be read on a computer, or an epaper device like the Sony Reader. Audio titles can also be used on a computer or transferred to CD or uploaded to an MP3 player.
“Symtio is going to do for the printed page what iTunes did for music, but will take it to the next level by combining the ease and simplicity of iTunes with a bricks-and-mortar retail experience that many consumers still desire,” said Moe Girkins, president and CEO of Zondervan.
Zondervan expects to have 100 titles available at launch, including several of their bestsellers, with more going digital shortly afterwards. Baker Publishing also plans to feature a number of Baker titles on the Symtio program at launch and Zondervan is currently talking with other publishers about coming on board.
“In addition to offering retailers a simple, low-tech entry into a high-tech format, Symtio is really changing the economics for the retailer as there are no significant inventory costs, they get the inventory up front but are only billed once a purchased card is activated,” said Girkins. “It allows retailers to enter and compete in the digital space with no technology investment. All they need is a point-of-sale system.”
Beta testing for Symtio will begin in stores immediately following ICRS, with the official launch of the program coming this Fall.
Wayyyy cool! I can't wait to try it out for myself.
Posted by: Kim Kasch | July 31, 2008 at 10:49 PM
To me, this seems like one of those "the emperor has no clothes" moments. If the customer is already in the store, why would they want to buy a piece of paper that they can take home and download a file? The reason people like downloading things is because it saves them time, but this seems to require more time. In the software world, people prefer to have the physical disks, but they are willing to download software because it take valuable time to run to the store or wait for the post office to deliver. Symtio seems to miss the mark completely.
Posted by: Timothy fish | August 03, 2008 at 09:17 PM
Tim, why do people buy download cards for iTunes at stores? 1. You don't have to risk your credit card number online. 2. It's an easy way to give a gift.
Also, what about the folks who've never considered downloads before? What about the retailers who can now "carry" a much larger inventory without the added cost?
I think it's right on target.
Posted by: Keith | August 04, 2008 at 04:35 PM
I am super excited about this product. I am a Christian Bookstore Owner and am sure I will be one of my best customers for this product! The nice thing with this is that it is compatible with all devices. The Kindle from Amazon you have to get all your books from Amazon so there is no flexibility. Plus this will be a lot easier for gift giving. I have a friend that is in Africa as a missionary. She can only receive one shoebox size package a month but she loves to read. As soon as this product is release I am sending her a Sony Reader and a few eBooks. It is a great solution! And the price range is great!
Posted by: Jeanette Blackson | September 28, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Great idea. The retailer is the difficult link in the chain. If I were mailing a gift to someone else, it makes sense to purchase a card from a retailer. If it's for me, why not just buy directly online? The extra step may guard the retailer, but I bet it will lose customers who are not purchasing the cards as gifts for others, but for themselves.
If the book is for me, I don't need a nice card. What I need is immediate delivery of the book. If I have to go to a retailer to buy a card to come back to the computer, I would just as soon buy the book online and wait for shipping. The point of "online" for the customer is immediate delivery. Even the drive to the retailer may be too much (unless, as I said, I want to purchase the card and mail it).
Posted by: David Ingrassia | January 24, 2009 at 08:28 PM