LibriSottoCasa: Milan's itinerant bookseller defies Amazon with bicycle deliveries

Luca Ambrogio Santini, a former independent bookseller in Milan, launched LibriSottoCasa in 2015 after closing his physical store in 2013 due to high costs. Operating from a bicycle with a small cart, he delivers books in the southern districts of Milan, emphasizing personalized recommendations over e-commerce giants like Amazon. His mobile bookstore measures just 2 square meters, stocked from a warehouse of under 1,000 titles, down from 12,000 in his former shop. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for his home delivery service surged as Milan entered the red zone. Santini promotes his service via Facebook, WhatsApp, and email, aiming to be faster than Amazon. He also organizes readings and events in collaboration with local shops, schools, associations, and festivals like BookCity and BookPride, though these activities are suspended during the pandemic. He partners with the LIM association and the children's literature festival "Hai visto un re?".