Richmond bulk bookseller brings bundles to your doorstep.
Close Up Of Father And Sons Reading Story At Home Together
30,000-SQUARE-FOOT WAREHOUSE in Richmond’s Manchester neighborhood isn’t full of heavy machinery, salvage, or even beer; instead, at any given time, it’s stocked with 2 to 4 million books. This is the home of The Book Bundler, a bulk seller of gently used books that’s been spreading a love for reading since 2010. Founder and self-described “serial entrepreneur” Joe McKim began his business simply; he sold used books on Amazon and eBay out of his apartment. Eleven years later, he conducts a complex symphony of an operation. Inventory is delivered to the warehouse headquarters in massive quantities—usually 100,000 to 200,000 books at a time—from other sellers, libraries, and reader donations. McKim oversees six or seven managers and 15 to 20 part-time employees, who use an intensive system to grade and bundle thousands of books every day. Bundle options are endless; online shoppers can filter by grade level, genre, book length, and even book color. “Our most popular bundles are mixed genre kids’ boxes,” says McKim. “You can usually get 100 various kids’ books from us for around $75. The price points are so good that it’s difficult for customers to pass up, so they sell out very quickly.” With kids indoors during the pandemic and parents supervising both online schooling and creative at-home entertainment, The Book Bundler delivered. The company has sold nearly 3 million books in the past year, shipping them across the contiguous United States. But sales are just a portion of The Book Bundler’s mission—the business also plays an important literary role in the Richmond area. “We donate big boxes of books to local elementary schools and provide yearly support through donations to a number of faith-based missions and organizations within the homeschool community,” says McKim. “There are many moving parts to our operation, and we are constantly adapting and changing our processes and catalog.” TheBookBundler.com
This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue.
