The Bookseller.com

1st December 2008

BA: Price trumps bookseller picks

13.05.08 Graeme Neill

Putting a price offer on a book is the best inducement to get purchasers to buy it, according to a new report by Book Marketing Limited.

The report, presented at a BA conference session on consumer and social trends, found that respondents were most likely to be influenced to buy a book if it is on offer, with recommendation from friends also a strong motivator. Lower down the scale of influence came the cover look, advertising, the presence of the books in the charts, and nomination for prizes. The least influential factor, according to the survey, was recommendation from a bookseller.

BML's Steve Bohme revealed that discounting of Harry Potter since the first book was published in 1997 was worth £265m. "Last year was the first time that the proportion of books sold at discount exceeded those sold at full price," he said.

Bohme also discussed the growing market for gift books. The volume of titles priced at more than £30 has grown by more than 38% since 2003 in genres including art, military history and language books. "Maybe higher value is an area that can thrive," said Bohme.

Meanwhile, Michelle Harrison from consumer analyst agency Henley Centre said that changing consumer demographics meant that publishers had to focus more on shared experiences with their products. She said it was a challenge to remarket books because reading is typically seen as a solitary activity.

"It requires imagination to keep books on track," she said. "It can be done because books can be at the heart of the dialogue we have with each other but it requires a brave leap forward."

Last week The Bookseller revealed that retail displays and media coverage have overtaken word-of-mouth buzz as the main drivers for book sales.

The Bookseller is hosting a seminar covering this research and many other consumer book buying trends on 12th June. For more information see the Reading the Future brochure.

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