When consumers feel cheated—as is the case with many university students—they tend to develop parallel markets to trade goods, and 'Amazon Student' facilitates that trading process.
Amazon Student connects two perfectly paired demographics: students hoping to buy college textbooks on the cheap and students looking to make a buck for their now-useless books. For the latter group, the app acts as an appraiser and gives a price estimate for each textbook. The former group is given the option to connect via phone or email to merchant students willing to pawn their course readers. The result is a virtual bazaar that helps to lower the overall fees associated with higher education.
The best thing about the Amazon Student app is that it lets customers hawk most of their college-time belongings: Video games, DVDs and books. Oh, and it’s free!
Book-Exchanging Apps
'Amazon Student' Turns the iTunes Store into a University Bazaar
Trend Themes
1. Parallel Markets - Creating online platforms for consumers to trade goods and lower costs associated with specific industries.
2. Book-exchanging Apps - Developing apps that connect students looking to buy college textbooks with students looking to sell their used books.
3. Virtual Bazaar - Building virtual marketplaces that facilitate the exchange of goods and reduce fees in specific industries.
Industry Implications
1. E-commerce - Exploring the potential for creating online platforms for consumers to trade goods and lower costs in various industries.
2. Education - Developing book-exchanging apps and virtual marketplaces to lower the overall fees associated with higher education.
3. Entertainment - Building platforms for customers to sell their used video games, DVDs, and books and connect with potential buyers.