Best Online Textbook Stores (Buy Online & Save)

Zookal is an Australian textbook store that is predominantly online but has one offline store located in Alexandria, NSW.

It supplies a variety of educational services including eTextbooks and digital videos along with traditional hardcover textbooks and offers shipping Australia wide.

It is revolutionising the textbook industry and saving money-conscious students’ precious pennies by offering a textbook rental service.

Through this service, students can rent textbooks at a fraction of the price it would cost to purchase the textbook outright. With most textbooks only being required for a semester, this is such a great initiative that is assisting students’ financial situations.

Also available to purchase are textbook solutions which are step-by-step answers and guides for each chapter of the subject matter.

These are online documents that can be viewed on smartphones, tablets or computers, making them easy to transport. 

There is also a range of stationary on offer. Students can browse their University textbooks easily by entering their course code or the textbook’s title or ISBN, making it simple to ensure they are purchasing the correct book.

Returning rental textbooks is also an easy process that is free. Students are able to return their textbooks at ParcelPoint locations, Australia Post Offices or at the head office in NSW. While there are due dates for the textbooks, these are able to be extended for students studying outside the usual semester times to ensure there are no late fees incurred.

Book Depository is an online international book retailer that boasts over 20 million available titles with free delivery for any amount spent.

They have two fulfillment centres, Gloucester, UK and Melbourne, Australia, from which thousands of books are shipped from every day. They deliver to more than 130 countries worldwide and list items in 37 different currencies.

The company was acquired by Amazon in 2011, which has enabled an increase in available titles as well as an improvement in customer service and delivery.

The website is easy to navigate and customers can browse by category which is divided further into top categories, top authors, bestselling series and more categories. Browsing can also be done by bestsellers, new releases or bargain shop, all which have direct links on the home page.

Once a category is selected, filters are able to be applied such as price, language and format, to further narrow the search.

There is also a search bar that allows customer to easily locate books they know the title, author, ISBN or keyword of.

Once an order is placed, customers will be sent an order number that can be used to track the status of the order via the website.

This will allow customers to know where their delivery is and when to expect it. There are estimated times for delivery outlined on the website that differ per country.

Booktopia is an Australian online bookstore that was founded in 2004. It began as a side project for 3 brothers who were scoffed at for trying enter a dying industry.

They have certainly proved the haters wrong with company now worth a whopping $113.4 million AUD. They sell one item every 6.1 seconds and retain 1.8 million of their customers as well as being voted ‘Bookstore of the Year’ in 2016, 2017 and 2019. They have over 200 staff and 150,000 titles in stock ready to ship.

Along with books, the store offers eBooks, audio books, DVDs, magazines, calendars and diaries. Their website also offers a link to gift ideas and guides that are categorised so customers can easily find gifts for any person in their lives.

 These categories include ‘fiction’, ‘non-fiction’, ‘for her’, ‘for him’, ‘for kids’ divided by age group, and ‘lavish coffee table books’, and gift certificates are also able to be purchased. There is also a link to their blog that boasts a range of articles and quizzes including book extracts and recommendations.

The company delivers within Australia and New Zealand for a flat rate of $7.95 AUD for regular postage or $14.95 AUD for express.

Both include tracking and remains the same no matter how many items are purchased. Customers can track their orders via the website to know exactly when their order will be arriving.

Jekkle is an online Australian educational resource retailer that specialists in keeping costs low for students.

They offer brand new textbooks sourced from Australian publishers to ensure they are the correct version required by students, second-hand textbooks and the option to rent textbooks. 

Rent textbooks is an innovative idea that removes the effort of selling the book once it is no longer needed and as most students would know, the book is generally only needed for one subject if at all so this saves students money and time.

Rental textbooks are free to return via Australia Post and are generally brand-new copies that are in excellent condition.

Shipping is offered Australia wide, with express shipping on offer in metropolitan Sydney, and orders over $80 AUD qualifying for free shipping.

The site also offers stationary so that students can find all their study requirements in the one place. It is easy to locate the items you are after by entering what you know about the book into the search bar at the top of the website, and there is a live support pop up chat where someone can assist you with any queries.

You are also able to browse by University and then subject so that even if a book wasn’t on your radar, you’ll be sure not to miss it and turn up on the first day of semester feeling prepared.