By Patrick Avenell
The expansion of JB Hi-Fi’s NOW platform into book selling is a “no-brainer” due to its huge market value, according to marketing director Scott Browning.
Speaking to Current.com.au shortly after its launch yesterday afternoon, Browning said marketing books fit seamlessly into the JB Hi-Fi retail proposition.
“At over $2.5 billion, the retail book category in Australia is bigger than DVDs and CDs combined and eBook popularity is growing rapidly because of connected devices like tablets and smartphones,” Browning said. “This is a ‘no-brainer’ for JB Hi-Fi.
“Books are a natural extension of the home entertainment content offering, which our regular customers are already heavily engaged.
“The JB Hi-Fi online and digital ecosystems are a perfect environment for us to engage our customers with the rapidly growing eBook category, linking in with our extensive IT hardware offer and popular gift card program.”
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Browning said JB management was satisfied with the performance of its JB NOW music service, having seen “exponential growth in permanent subscribers and streams”.
This is the latest in a string of examples of how JB Hi-Fi is expanding its product offering tangentially, as Browning explained.
“We have always looked closely at the relationship between the devices we sell and the consumption behaviours they support,” he said.
“Whether that was selling CDs with audio equipment, DVSs with DVD players, Blu-ray players with high definition TVs, games with consoles or headphones with iPods. And now digital content with connected mobility such as tablets and smartphones.”