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Industry professionals say supermarkets are putting the squeeze on mid-list commercial fiction, with the shelf space afforded to books in the nation's largest chains dwindling over the past 18 months and selection becoming "increasingly competitive". The squeeze is also thought to be affecting children's publishing.
However ASDA and Waitrose have told The Bookseller they have not cut back their book space, although ASDA confirmed it has become "more selective", with fewer new release slots available. Tesco and Sainsburys declined to comment.
Contributing to The Bookseller's c.e.o. predictions for 2019 this week, HarperCollins c.e.o Charlie Redmayne noted that supermarkets were becoming "an increasingly challenging environment with growing competition for space."
One editor who preferred to speak anonymously also voiced concerns to The Bookseller, saying: "Understandably the supermarkets are still selecting the likes of Jojo Moyes, Lee Child and Peter James, and in some cases in higher quantities than before, which means as ever it’s the smaller authors who are bearing the brunt. Even a small Tesco order should be 2,000+ copies, so it’s not a gap that can easily be filled.”
An agent, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that publishers were increasingly looking to the supermarkets for bulk sales because other retailers were ordering fewer advance copies, with Waterstones buying "little and often". "Companies like Waterstones are taking less of a risk and so publishers are looking more to supermarkets to market a book. These slots are more competitive than they used to be," the agent said. Literary agent Robert Caskie of Caskie Mushens also noted it was "increasingly important to get a book into the supermarket, to get hardback sales for publishers".
Retail analyst Nick Bubb said most supermarkets were cutting back on low-margin entertainment products that were better sold online: "Gone are the days when you'd see a huge pile of the latest Harry Potter book in Tesco," he noted. "And I suspect Waitrose shoppers pick up more books at the John Lewis 'click and collect' parcel counter than through the tills."
ASDA's buying manager for Books Phil Henderson told The Bookseller: "I’m pleased to confirm that ASDA has not reduced Books space over the last year and we do not have plans to reduce space in 2019. The number of New Release slots available has declined, which is a strategic move to give the titles we select a longer shelf life in store and create a stronger business model with our publisher partners. The trading team are being more selective, enabled by a closer understanding than ever of who the ASDA customer is and what she requires from our offer."
Waitrose also said it had maintained space for books and where space allowed had increased allocation of childrens' books in 120 shops. "Our selection of fiction, cookery and childrens’ titles, which is available in more than 200 of our shops, remains an important and popular part of our offer. We have therefore maintained the space dedicated to books, indeed where space has allowed, we have increased the allocation of childrens’ books in 120 shops and we are now displaying a selection of books at the checkouts to inspire our customers," a Waitrose spokesperson said. "In addition, we have introduced a new initiative where our Partners (employees) read the book in advance and their review is displayed with the book on shelf. We have also launched a 'Featured Fiction' offer with the Telegraph whereby customers with the correct voucher can get £1 off a new book every two weeks."
Nielsen BookScan recorded that, although non-fiction and general & literary fiction were up last month, categories for crime & thriller, food & drink and romance & sagas were all down on December 2017 (respectively 10.4%, 13.8% and 15.3% in volume terms and 7.5%, 10.6% and 8% in value terms).
While Tesco this morning (10th January) reported “strong" Christmas trading, with sales up 2.2% at its UK supermarkets over the six-week period to 5th January and up 1.9% in its third quarter, Sainsbury's this week blamed "cautious customer spending" for a fall in its sales. Its total retail third quarter sales, which includes the run up to Christmas, were down 0.4% and like-for-like sales down 1.1%. Of this, general merchandise (non-food) sales declined by 2.3%. Across the board, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it was the worst December sales performance in a decade.