Mondadori Store: over 200,000 second-hand books collected across the network’s bookshops
To mark World Book Day, a new stop on the Zeercle Days tour: from 23 to 26 April, a dedicated Zeercle stand at “Il Centro” shopping centre in Arese will collect books and gift visitors a rose
Nearly a year after the initiative was launched in Italy, the partnership between Mondadori Store, Italy’s largest network of bookshops, and Zeercle, one of Europe’s leading book buy-back service providers, has resulted in more than 200,000 second-hand books being collected by participating stores.
The service has been warmly welcomed by the reading community for offering a practical and sustainable way to give new life not only to books, but also to CDs, vinyl records, video games, DVDs and Blu-rays.
As part of the activities connected to the service, Mondadori Store and Zeercle have also introduced a number of complementary initiatives dedicated to the world of books: from supporting the #IoLeggoPerché campaign, aimed at enriching school libraries and promoting a love of reading, to launching Zeercle Days.
A NEW STOP ON THE ZEERCLE DAYS TOUR
The latest Zeercle Days event, a travelling series designed to show an ever-wider audience how to unlock the value of books and multimedia products, will take place at the “Il Centro” shopping centre in Arese (Milan), home to a Mondadori Bookstore.
The initiative will begin on Thursday 23 April, to coincide with World Book Day, and will run until Sunday 26 April.
“On World Book Day, Zeercle transforms second-hand books not only into renewed purchasing power, but also into a gesture of kindness, offering a rose to those who choose to refresh their bookshelves,” said Francesco Riganti, Marketing Director of Mondadori Retail. “Our regenerative retail service does more than extend the life cycle of books – it creates a virtuous circle that drives a circular economy, bringing together culture and environmental responsibility,” Riganti concluded.
Customers will be able to hand in books and other items assessed via Zeercle in exchange for a Mondadori Store gift card of the same value as well as a 10 euro gift card that can be redeemed within the shopping centre (for deposits of at least €10).
The initiative draws inspiration from the Festival of Sant Jordi (Saint George’s Day), also known as the “Festival of Books and Roses” (Festa dei Libri e delle Rose), celebrated each year on 23 April in Barcelona and recognised as one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to books.
The dedicated Zeercle stand will be located on the ground floor of “Il Centro”, between entrances 1 and 2, from 23 April. To mark the launch day, Mondadori Store will present a rose to everyone who makes a product deposit.
The service will be accessible via the dedicated webpage.
Mondadori Store is Italy’s largest bookshop network, with more than 500 outlets nationwide, from major cities to smaller towns. A vibrant cultural presence across the country, the network includes directly managed and franchised Mondadori Bookstores, as well as the company-owned Mondadori Bookstore | MA, Mondadori Duomo and Rizzoli Milano bookshops. Mondadori Store also operates online through its e-commerce website, Mondadoristore.it, and its Book Club offering.
Zeercle is an innovative circular economy service dedicated to books. Through a simple, fully digital platform, Zeercle enables readers to sell their second-hand books directly in partner bookshops, receiving an instant voucher to spend in store. Already successfully established in Germany, France and Austria, the service aims to restore value to books, support bricks-and-mortar bookshops and promote more sustainable consumption. Zeercle works with major chains and independent bookshops alike to build a European network for second-hand books.