2023-07-10 10:35:00
« We live in difficult times — socially and economically. The book industry feels the effects of the global crises, but reaffirms its place through its commitment“, underlined Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, director of Börsenverein, Federation of German publishers and booksellers.
Something to reassure somewhat worried professions decline in the number of customers observed: in 2019, there were 29.9 million in Germany, compared to only 25.8 million in 2022.
Young people scrutinized
The attention of the Börsenverein, in the presentation of the results, was essentially focused on the 16-29 age group, that which houses the readers – and the buyers – of tomorrow. The organization counts 3.3 million buyers (compared to 4 million in 2017, -18%), and is delighted with an increase in the average number of books purchased per year: from 9.4 in 2017 to 11.7 books.
In other words, young people aged 16 to 29 who read buy a substantial number of titles. Unsurprisingly, the total amount spent by this age group in 2022 is also growing, to €425 million (compared to €392 million in 2017, +8%).
At ages 16 and 29, the influence social networks on book purchases is real, but declines with age. For the 16-19 age group, it weighs for the purchase of securities in 28% of cases.
Pandemic reflexes
Several months following the last confinements, what remains of the pandemic? The explosion of sales in 2021 is no longer on the agenda, and the volume more or less falls back to that of 2020. Sales in bookstores and other large cultural areas are up 5% compared to 2021 , for market shares of around 41.9%.
However, this remains much lower than in 2019, before the pandemic, where businesses “physiquesaccounted for almost half of book sales. Online sales — including those from bookstores — are down slightly in 2022, but they have clearly gained momentum with the passage of Covid-19.
READ – France: decline in publishing turnover in 2022
Sales of digital books remained stable, at -0.2% compared to last year. 3 million readers have chosen the ebook, a little less than in 2021, and sales represent 6% of the total turnover of the book for the general public.
Unsurprisingly, the audio book is doing well, with sales up 35.2% compared to 2019, and 6% compared to 2021.
What will 2023 bring?
The Federation produces, a little in advance, a sketch of the year 2023. It announces an increase in turnover of 4.1% over the last 6 months, but sales are down almost 8%. How can this apparent contradiction be explained? By l’inflationof course, since the prices of books have increased by almost 10% compared to 2019…
Professionals expect a level of sales similar to that of the pre-pandemic period, in 2019, around €9.2 billion.
Photograph: in a bookstore, Augsburg (illustration, nicoleta wagner, CC BY 2.0)
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