Recent report from Book Buying Habits Statistics 2007
Where Books Are Sold- 81% market share are NOT in bookstores
Why are bookstores becoming dinosaurs?
Of the 19% market share of books in bookstores a recent survey found that about 10 percent of adult trade books were purchased in an independent or small chain book store and about 24 percent in a large chain book store. Other outlets include:
Supermarkets, especially as they become more upscale, have gone beyond mass market paper to stock a much greater range of trade books. The number and range of customers is attractive. Women do most grocery shopping and also most book buying. While grocery stores account for a smaller percent of book sales, they are a growing market. Kroger has been notable in expanding its book sections and moving large numbers of best sellers. This is primarily a front list business.
Discount chains such as Sam's and Costco stock very few titles, but they stock them in large quantities and at prices often lower than the cost to the independent bookstore.
There is a fast rising trend for major publishers to sell new books from their website. Penguin is the leader here. Books are sold at full list price and P&H are added to that price. This is fast catching on for publishing companies that are forward thinking and trend watchers, those that are the ground floor of this trend and build a reputation will be the ones to succeed in the near future.
Reported by ABA
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Certainly this article has to be put into perspective. I have actually always thought of drug stores, price clubs, and discount stores as "shelved" books, similar to book store shelving, and I do realize that the purchasing guidelines might be different. But books from major publishers would certainly be considered frontlist and end up at these venues, too, doncha think?
Does anyone have any other stats from different sources that might negate these figures, or appear slightly different?
This is the type of announcement fodder that gives vanity publishers ammo to throw in author's faces, to demonstrate that book stores are not a viable place for your product. Of course that's hogwash, because we've done the breakdowns before.
I wish I knew more about bookclubs and how they consider titles.
What is P&H? I know what S&H is, but not the other.
Tri
Where Books Are Sold- 81% market share are NOT in bookstores
Why are bookstores becoming dinosaurs?
Of the 19% market share of books in bookstores a recent survey found that about 10 percent of adult trade books were purchased in an independent or small chain book store and about 24 percent in a large chain book store. Other outlets include:
- Mass merchandisers - 6 percent
- Discount stores - 3 percent [taking bestseller sales from the chains with deep discounts]
- Food/drug stores - 3 percent
- Price clubs - 7 percent
- Used book stores - 3 percent
- Book clubs - 19 percent
- Mail order - 3 percent
- Internet - 27 percent.
Supermarkets, especially as they become more upscale, have gone beyond mass market paper to stock a much greater range of trade books. The number and range of customers is attractive. Women do most grocery shopping and also most book buying. While grocery stores account for a smaller percent of book sales, they are a growing market. Kroger has been notable in expanding its book sections and moving large numbers of best sellers. This is primarily a front list business.
Discount chains such as Sam's and Costco stock very few titles, but they stock them in large quantities and at prices often lower than the cost to the independent bookstore.
There is a fast rising trend for major publishers to sell new books from their website. Penguin is the leader here. Books are sold at full list price and P&H are added to that price. This is fast catching on for publishing companies that are forward thinking and trend watchers, those that are the ground floor of this trend and build a reputation will be the ones to succeed in the near future.
Reported by ABA
* * *
Certainly this article has to be put into perspective. I have actually always thought of drug stores, price clubs, and discount stores as "shelved" books, similar to book store shelving, and I do realize that the purchasing guidelines might be different. But books from major publishers would certainly be considered frontlist and end up at these venues, too, doncha think?
Does anyone have any other stats from different sources that might negate these figures, or appear slightly different?
This is the type of announcement fodder that gives vanity publishers ammo to throw in author's faces, to demonstrate that book stores are not a viable place for your product. Of course that's hogwash, because we've done the breakdowns before.
I wish I knew more about bookclubs and how they consider titles.
What is P&H? I know what S&H is, but not the other.
Tri
