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Sales of London-themed Olympic 2012 books shot up 21% last week, as booksellers reported a “building buzz” around London.
Rebecca Hart, manager of Foyles Westfield Stratford branch, said a “host of new people” were coming into the shop, from Olympic Stadium workers, security and army personnel to coaches and journalists, which was helping to steadily boost sales on a daily basis to the run-up to the Games’ commencement tonight (27th July).
The Complete Book of the Olympics by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky (Aurm Press), published in April, is among those titles in hot demand at the bookshop – which is situated next to the stadium—because “journalists have been told to buy it because it contains every Olympic fact, which will help them to write their articles”, Hart said.
Altogether £130,300 was taken through the tills last week on Olympic London 2012-themed titles according to Nielsen BookScan data—a 21% hike week on week. In addition, a range of 20 London street maps took £5,000 more than the 15 on offer this time last year, raking in £17,000 through the tills for booksellers.
Hart said: “There is a building buzz definitely, we have seen quite a change in the type of customers coming into the shop. Sales are going up every day but I don’t think it will be anything in comparison to what we will see next week, when more tourists are here.”
The attraction of the Olympic torch parade seems also to have also given retailers a boost. Waterstones in Richmond was on the route when the torch passed through that area of London on Tuesday (24th July), and bookseller Lizzie Latham said: “I’d say around 200 people were around to watch it, then afterwards many of them came into the shop and many bought children’s books.”
Also receiving a welcome sport-based book boost were sales of cycling titles on the back of Bradley Wiggins’ triumph in the Tour de France last weekend (22nd July).
Wiggins’ own autobiography, Bradley Wiggins: In Pursuit of Glory (Orion), originally published in 2009, has seen a jump in sales, shifting 355 copies in the week ending 21st July and freewheeling into the top 100 for the week in Amazon’s bestseller list.
Alan Samson, publishing director at Orion, said: “Bradley’s win was a real triumph, and it was a fantastic victory for him and his team,” and confirmed negotiations were ongoing for a new book with the athlete.
Another cycling title to achieve success is Racing Through the Dark (Orion) by David Millar which entered Amazon’s top 40 after being released in June. Yellow Jersey Press also announced the acquisition of two cycling titles this week: a new edition of Roule Britannia: Great Britain and the Tour de France by William Fotheringham, for publication in October; and an as-yet-untitled book by Ned Boulting exploring how Britain became so obsessed with cycling.
Matt Phillips, editorial director, said: “In the wake of Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France triumph cycling has never been more popular in Britain, and cycling books have never been more sought after.”