Used bookseller Alibris Holdings will change its name to Monsoon Commerce Solutions. With the recent acquisition of Monsoon Inc., the company will re-organize its online business by creating three divisions for the three types of customers they normally work with; retailers, sellers, and buyers. CEO Brian Elliot expects the company to reap a gross profit of $450 million this year.
Publishers Weekly reports: “Under the new alignment, Marketplace Services provides online sales services to over 24 retailers like Borders, Chapters Indigo, and Chegg, allowing them to sell all or any subset of the 120 million books, movies, videogames, and music items offered through the Alibris and Monsoon seller networks. Selling Solutions brings together the Alibris Seller Hub and Monsoon Works capabilities, providing sellers with tools for selling across leading marketplaces such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, and eBay. Alibris Retail brings together book buyers with independent sellers of books, music, movies, and more through its core marketplace (www.alibris.com), as well as its dedicated U.K. and library marketplaces (www.alibris.co.uk and library.alibris.com).”
The company was founded in 1997 by Martin Manley. Alibris means “by books” in Latin. One blogger observed the play on words in this name because this particular business wants people to “buy books.”