Tsutaya To Begin Manga Rental Service

According to ANN, major Japanese retail chain, Tsutaya (a division of the Culture Convenience Club company), will begin offering manga rentals to customers beginning April 2007.

Tsutaya, which currently maintains outlets in most major Japanese cities, rents movies, CDs, CD singles, and other items on a per store basis.

Manga rental will initially be available at 100 retailers. Each retailer will initially carry approximately 30,000 manga volumes with room for more as the program catches on. If the store is successful in renting manga - meaning high rental per capita rates and returns - it is highly likely that all 1300 Tsutaya stores in Japan will begin renting manga.

Manga renting in Japan is nothing new, however, this would be the first time its done on a national level by a single retail chain. This has the potential to provide a secondary source of income for publishers outside of retail sales.