The book market consolidates growth on 2019, IEA data at the Book Fair
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The publishing market is confirmed to be in good shape, with the growth trend stabilizing compared to the post-pandemic period (+17% on 2019) and bookshops consolidating their position as the leading sales channel, with a share exceeding 50%. This is what emerges from the data presented at the Turin International Book Fair by the IEA, the Italian Association of Publishers. Sales remain in line with those of the previous year although in the first four months, from January to April, volumes increased by 17% compared to 2019.
Publishers report a further decline in the online channel – to 41.5% market share which was 27% in 2019 – and a slight recovery in large-scale distribution, which stands at 4.7%. “The data we are presenting today – explained the head of the research office of the Italian Publishers Association Giovanni Peresson – tell us two things: the first is that the market growth that had already started at the end of 2020 was not a passing phenomenon, but a long-term trend that certifies and stabilizes the book at sales values higher than those of the pre-pandemic period».
The second element is linked to the fact that this result «is pursued by keeping prices low, despite the growth in company costs for raw materials and energy» adds Peresson. Against a general increase in prices on an annual basis of 8.3% in April, the average cover price of sales increased by 1.1%. The data outlines a longer-term trend: in April 2022 prices had increased by 1.5% against inflation of 5.8%
Sales in the first sixteen weeks of the year amounted to 473.2 million, copies sold are 31.2 million with an increase compared to the same period of 2019 of 17% in value and 15.6% in copies. Compared to 2022, however, the market remains stable in terms of value (-0.2%) and copies (-1.2%). Publishing brands in the sales range over 5 million grew in sales by 37.7% compared to 2019. Those between 1 and 5 million grew by 25.3%, those under one million by 5.4%.
The recovery of bookstores can be attributed to a specific choice by readers who, in 46% of cases, declare that they have used bookstores more in the last 12 months and have reduced online purchases and other alternative channels to bookstores. In particular, among the reasons, in 55% of cases it is indicated that they have found interesting promotions in the bookshop, in 45% that they have been attracted by a better assortment, in 26% that they have rediscovered the “atmosphere” of the bookshop .
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