Help navigation
- Thursday, 23 May
Log in to TheBookseller.com
News
-
RELATED STORIES
-
Daunt: restructure 'not primarily about costs'
Waterstones' managing d...
-
Major restructure for Waterstones management staff
Waterstones has begun a com...
-
Business profile: Ian Owens, manager Waterstones Argyll Street
Turning an unprofitable sto...
-
Patchett: 'Authors must work with trade'
Orange Prize-winner Ann Pat...
-
EC urged to act over e-book 'ecosystems'
Booksellers from across Eur...
Indies report "surprise" increase in festive sales
03.01.12 | Daisy Wyatt
Indie booksellers have reported a “surprise” increase in sales over Christmas in comparison to last year.
Many reported seeing a revenue increase of 5-10% year-on-year through their responses to The Bookseller Christmas trading survey, which is open until up 3pm today (3rd January). Some said they experienced a decline in hardback sales and others saw a drop in fiction sales, which they blamed on the growing popularity of e-readers.
Other indie booksellers said better weather and a six-day trading period before Christmas Day helped them to rack up last minute gift purchases in comparison to last year.
Of the festive bestsellers, indies reported P D James’ Death Comes to Pemberley a popular choice with customers and Mark Forsyth’s The Etymologicon was also a last minute hit after it was featured on BBC Radio Four’s Book of the Week in the last week of Christmas trading.
According to Nielsen BookScan data, Forsyth’s title was the bestseller for independent retailers in the week running up to Christmas.
A full report based on the Christmas trading survey will published in The Bookseller this week.
Territory Manager, Germany –...
£Competitive Salary + Strong Bonus + Benefits
This is a brand new position to join...
Excellent salary package and career opportunities
TheBookseller
-
Pearson makes significant changes to structure - Pearson has revealed “significant changes” to its org... t.co/2PrL6hUtME
-
Pearson makes "significant changes" to structure: Pearson has revealed “significant changes... t.co/yfjMhaYeo8
-
Lydia Davis wins International Man Booker: American writer Lydia Davis has won the fifth... t.co/dVOBpaeWHF
©2012 Bookseller Media Ltd rights reserved.
Comments: Scroll down for the latest comments and to have your say
By posting on this website you agree to the Bookseller comments policy. Comments go direct to live please be relevant, brief and definitely not abusive. Report any "unsuitable comments by clicking the links"
Sort: Oldest first | Newest first | Readers' most recommended
Sadly we didnt have a sales increase. infact xmas this year was down around 50%.
we were on the knife edge as to what to do this next 3-6 months.
this has therefore helped with the decision to close the shop - 40 years of trading.
on the bright side, for the next 6 weeks till we close, we can match amazons prices.!!!
good luck to all and goodnight.
But sadly not for me,as well.Takings down on last Christmas when we were virtually cut off for 2 weeks of December by snow and dangerous pavements.
I go at Easter after 23 years trading.
Very sad,but glaad to hear some people are still doing well.
I feel for - my thoughts are sadly for everyone.
It is a sad for everyone in trade publishing, the book trade and everyone who enjoys books to see the problems that independent bookshops are encountering.
I am also aware that a few empathic words from a small independent publisher will not make any difference to the problems facing independent bookshops.
the kind thoughts are appriciated Martin.
It is (mainly) the bigger publishing houses that dont help our plight. Giving totally unfair pricing to other competition.
it is probably the only industry - or one of very few - that works from a price point downwards. Instead of Cost of Product + fixed cost + Profit margin = price to sell.
the purchaser-any further retailer- then does exactly the same and ends up with a selling price.
And thank you to the kind customer today who got £60 of books to take back to Australia with him, and refused to take a discount !!
The cost of printing keeps going up and the government keeps putting postage up too - this will rise again I think and make it even harder for publishers to keep book prices down.
Compared to rising costs of production and delivery, indpendent publishers have kept the cover price on books as steady as they can. We can't give big discounts to other sellers, but we don't really get much support from bookshops either, which is a pity.
It's hard to see how to compete with the corporates in publishing and bookselling, but we keep trying to find ways.
I'm sad to hear of each bookshop closure. And the libraries too. We don't have a very supportive government for books.
the point of the discounting more being weather there is a huge difference to the % given to one compared to another. The actual % helps but is not the be all and end all, its that SOME places can sell to retail customers at 50% discounts AND STLL make money whilst doing so.
giving people the perception that Highstreet idies are "GREEDY" as they considere us to be getting the item for a simialr price.
These comments are for "sadly not for me" and Gail.
We are closing next month and started our closing down sale on 30th December and had our best sales day ever.
By best sales day I mean not just books sold but money taken in notwithstanding everything was half price.
My experience with closing down sales is that you have to offer 50pc or the public are not interested. We managed to shift nearly 40 per cent of the stock in the crucial first 3 days. Good luck to you both.
Been there, done that. Take my advice, and reflective of 'Stuart' above - don't mess about with discounts and fancy ideas - offer 50% off straight away. In less then a month you'll have cash in the bank and will be rid of a great deal of stock. Believe me, selling it on eBay and Marketplace afterwards is absolutely no fun, so be prepared to go even higher with your discount offer to turn that dead stock into ready cash.
And good luck.
We were also down this Xmas - don't know the exact figures, but guessing 10 - 15% less than last year, which was our worst Xmas ever and we had very little snow to contend with. The foofall in our whole town dropped massively this December - on our annual canival day 10th Dec, which for the last 3 years has been our second best trading day of the year, we were a staggering 50% down. As we were on the previous Saturday, when again the town was virtually deserted. We had 75% of our stock reduced from beginning of November, but when there aint no customers in your High Street we've run out of ideas to entice them to buy in any other way.
We just wonder who these brilliant, successful, entrepreneurial indie booksellers are who always seem to report year on year sales increases, while dozens of other bookshops go to the wall...
I'm in the same position as the previous writer.It's the general demise of my town and therefore no footfall and no potential customers that has affected my shop far more than the general problems in bookselling.We had 7 banks/building socs 20 years ago and thriving factories so people lived and worked here.Now no banks,one building soc and no industry so no customers.
Most publishers now give much better terms than back then when we all got 33.3% from everyone or 35% if we were lucky.
I can't complain about publishers or wholesalers who have all supported me,but the end of this lease is the end of the road.
beware people. at the end of your lease, give yourselves chance to speak with your landlord and ask them (to put in writing) how they expect you to leave the shop - or how the lease says you must leave it. - I left my shop in June and have just got (20th Dec) a delapidations bill for ££22,000. i had the last 3 years of a 25 year lease and its terms say to restore it to the original condition = which is NEW windows / doors / fresh plaster and paint etc.
As when it was originally leased 25 years ago thats how it was.
Its a bite in the ass you dont want 6 months after you think its all over.
The Bat says: Britain's High Streets have become third class C3 retail areas, but High Street retailers are still paying premium A1 rent and rates: 25% of High Street shops are standing empty...I suspect another 50% are hanging by their fingertips until their leases end...so that'll be 75-80% empty within a few years.
Yet most struggling shopkeepers I talk to - in all trades - say they would have a viable business if their rent & rates were reduced by 60-70%...
There are various ways in which the government should be helping booksellers and publishers.
Hmmm, very insightful. thanks
Of the festive bestsellers, indies reported P D James’ Death Comes to Pemberley a popular choice with customers and Mark Forsyth’s The Etymologicon was also a last minute hit after it was featured on BBC Radio Four’s Book of the Week in the last week of Christmas tradingビーグレン
Sadly we didnt have a sales increase. infact xmas this year was down around 50%.
we were on the knife edge as to what to do this next 3-6 months.
this has therefore helped with the decision to close the shop - 40 years of trading.
on the bright side, for the next 6 weeks till we close, we can match amazons prices.!!!
good luck to all and goodnight.
But sadly not for me,as well.Takings down on last Christmas when we were virtually cut off for 2 weeks of December by snow and dangerous pavements.
I go at Easter after 23 years trading.
Very sad,but glaad to hear some people are still doing well.
I feel for - my thoughts are sadly for everyone.
It is a sad for everyone in trade publishing, the book trade and everyone who enjoys books to see the problems that independent bookshops are encountering.
I am also aware that a few empathic words from a small independent publisher will not make any difference to the problems facing independent bookshops.
the kind thoughts are appriciated Martin.
It is (mainly) the bigger publishing houses that dont help our plight. Giving totally unfair pricing to other competition.
it is probably the only industry - or one of very few - that works from a price point downwards. Instead of Cost of Product + fixed cost + Profit margin = price to sell.
the purchaser-any further retailer- then does exactly the same and ends up with a selling price.
And thank you to the kind customer today who got £60 of books to take back to Australia with him, and refused to take a discount !!
The cost of printing keeps going up and the government keeps putting postage up too - this will rise again I think and make it even harder for publishers to keep book prices down.
Compared to rising costs of production and delivery, indpendent publishers have kept the cover price on books as steady as they can. We can't give big discounts to other sellers, but we don't really get much support from bookshops either, which is a pity.
It's hard to see how to compete with the corporates in publishing and bookselling, but we keep trying to find ways.
I'm sad to hear of each bookshop closure. And the libraries too. We don't have a very supportive government for books.
the point of the discounting more being weather there is a huge difference to the % given to one compared to another. The actual % helps but is not the be all and end all, its that SOME places can sell to retail customers at 50% discounts AND STLL make money whilst doing so.
giving people the perception that Highstreet idies are "GREEDY" as they considere us to be getting the item for a simialr price.
These comments are for "sadly not for me" and Gail.
We are closing next month and started our closing down sale on 30th December and had our best sales day ever.
By best sales day I mean not just books sold but money taken in notwithstanding everything was half price.
My experience with closing down sales is that you have to offer 50pc or the public are not interested. We managed to shift nearly 40 per cent of the stock in the crucial first 3 days. Good luck to you both.
Been there, done that. Take my advice, and reflective of 'Stuart' above - don't mess about with discounts and fancy ideas - offer 50% off straight away. In less then a month you'll have cash in the bank and will be rid of a great deal of stock. Believe me, selling it on eBay and Marketplace afterwards is absolutely no fun, so be prepared to go even higher with your discount offer to turn that dead stock into ready cash.
And good luck.
We were also down this Xmas - don't know the exact figures, but guessing 10 - 15% less than last year, which was our worst Xmas ever and we had very little snow to contend with. The foofall in our whole town dropped massively this December - on our annual canival day 10th Dec, which for the last 3 years has been our second best trading day of the year, we were a staggering 50% down. As we were on the previous Saturday, when again the town was virtually deserted. We had 75% of our stock reduced from beginning of November, but when there aint no customers in your High Street we've run out of ideas to entice them to buy in any other way.
We just wonder who these brilliant, successful, entrepreneurial indie booksellers are who always seem to report year on year sales increases, while dozens of other bookshops go to the wall...
I'm in the same position as the previous writer.It's the general demise of my town and therefore no footfall and no potential customers that has affected my shop far more than the general problems in bookselling.We had 7 banks/building socs 20 years ago and thriving factories so people lived and worked here.Now no banks,one building soc and no industry so no customers.
Most publishers now give much better terms than back then when we all got 33.3% from everyone or 35% if we were lucky.
I can't complain about publishers or wholesalers who have all supported me,but the end of this lease is the end of the road.
beware people. at the end of your lease, give yourselves chance to speak with your landlord and ask them (to put in writing) how they expect you to leave the shop - or how the lease says you must leave it. - I left my shop in June and have just got (20th Dec) a delapidations bill for ££22,000. i had the last 3 years of a 25 year lease and its terms say to restore it to the original condition = which is NEW windows / doors / fresh plaster and paint etc.
As when it was originally leased 25 years ago thats how it was.
Its a bite in the ass you dont want 6 months after you think its all over.
The Bat says: Britain's High Streets have become third class C3 retail areas, but High Street retailers are still paying premium A1 rent and rates: 25% of High Street shops are standing empty...I suspect another 50% are hanging by their fingertips until their leases end...so that'll be 75-80% empty within a few years.
Yet most struggling shopkeepers I talk to - in all trades - say they would have a viable business if their rent & rates were reduced by 60-70%...
There are various ways in which the government should be helping booksellers and publishers.
Hmmm, very insightful. thanks
Of the festive bestsellers, indies reported P D James’ Death Comes to Pemberley a popular choice with customers and Mark Forsyth’s The Etymologicon was also a last minute hit after it was featured on BBC Radio Four’s Book of the Week in the last week of Christmas tradingビーグレン