Crunchyroll Store Removes Physical Manga, Light Novels

Key Points:

• The Crunchyroll Store has removed physical manga, light novels, Korean manhwa, and Chinese danmei books from sale as of its Tuesday update, focusing instead on curated drops, exclusive merchandise, collectibles, Blu-rays, and apparel for Mega and Ultimate Fan subscription tiers.
• Crunchyroll announced in July that its store would become exclusive to Mega and Ultimate Fan subscribers starting in August, ending previous store discounts for these memberships and ceasing acceptance of store gift cards after August 14.
• The company acquired Right Stuf in August 2022 and migrated its products to the Crunchyroll Store by October 2023, but the recent update marks a shift away from physical book sales on the platform.
• Subscription prices increased in February 2024, with the Fan Tier rising to $9.99, Mega Fan to $13.99, and Ultimate Fan to $17.99 per month, each offering varying benefits such as ad-free viewing, offline access, multiple streams, store discounts, and exclusive merchandise.
• Crunchyroll's restructuring in early 2024, including layoffs, was driven by a change in e-commerce strategy rather than cost-cutting, following its acquisition by Sony's Funimation Global Group in 2021 and the cessation of free ad-supported streaming in December 2023.