Kommersant learned about the decline in the share of books in bookstores

The share of books in the assortment of bookstores is declining due to the emergence of new product categories. About it informed Kommersant with reference to market participants.

In particular, in the Respublika chain of stores, the share of books in March 2023 was 40%, which is 15 p.p. lower compared to the same period last year, in the “House of the Book” this figure is now at the level of 52%. In the bookselling company “Meloman/Marwin” the share of books by area does not exceed 25%. Chitai-gorod also drew attention to the decline in the share of books.

According to market participants, this trend is associated with the termination of contracts with foreign copyright holders. According to the head of the Association of Internet Publishers Vladimir Kharitonov, translated literature occupies a significant place in the retail assortment. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that prices have increased by almost 40% in two years, as a result, readers have not had time to get used to the increased costs.

In this regard, bookstores are trying to attract readers, including through the offer of vinyl records, players and other technical devices. According to the commercial director of Meloman/Marwin, Inna Kasenova, now stores must “lure people with any effort.”

According to Boris Kuznetsov, director of the Rosmen publishing house, the overall decline in the share of books in specialized stores has been typical for Russia and other countries for more than a year. He clarified that bookstores sell stationery, souvenirs, board games, etc. Now there is a trend related to “content merging”: “Just as these goods come to bookstores, books appear in the assortment of stationery and gift shops. “, he added.