The opportunities and challenges presented in 2021 for the French bookselling market were explored by European and International Booksellers Federation co-president Jean-Luc Treutenaere of the Syndicat des Distributeurs de Loisirs Culturels, along with EIBF board members Anne Martelle of the Syndicat de la Librairie Française and Nina Stavisky of the Association des Librairies Informatisées & Utilisatrices de Réseaux Electroniques. Among their observations:
"After a turbulent 2020, many bookshop customers in France returned to stores last year, driving an increase in sales of about 20%. However, the results are not only a matter of chance or opportunity, but they highlight the hard work of the whole book chain. During this period, booksellers invested in scaling up their digital services--for example, in the past two years, we have seen a rise of 1,500% in online sales for independent booksellers--as well as setting up click and collect units and providing diverse operations to engage their customers....
"One of the major political highlights for independent booksellers in France in 2021 was the adoption of the law introducing a minimum shipping fee for selling books.... New year also brings new challenges, with many opportunities ahead for French booksellers, including:
- The rise of digital and audio books, on which traditional booksellers have poor, or no, offer and market share
- The access to large libraries through subscription (Kobo, Amazon Unlimited, Youboox, Youscribe, etc)
- The purchase of Hachette (largest French publisher and sixth largest on the planet) by Vivendi (Editis, second largest publisher in France). This could lead to a 'mega publishing and distribution house,' with between 40% and 60% of some bookstores' or chains' revenues
- The technical and accounting challenges of implementing dematerialised invoicing in all French companies, which will bring about profound changes in the way we manage our businesses
"Still, we are very confident for the year ahead, ready to welcome our customers and help them discover the treasures in our inventories."
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CNN asked bookstores, publishers and industry professionals for their insights about how the Philippines book industry has coped during the last two years, noting: "According to publishers, the demand for books only increased as the letters changed in our community quarantines. Many of them met some difficulty in maintaining a steady supply of stock."
Jennifer Javier, Penguin Random House associate sales director for Southeast Asia, said: "Capacity issues at some of the printing companies have added complexity to meeting the surging demand for print books, which are seeing unprecedented levels of popularity. With limited raw materials and downsized presses, the books supply chain was left unprepared for this unexpected demand."
Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio "also found it difficult to acquire books from their suppliers. Located up in the sky within the Cordillera Central mountain range, the bookstore saw major publishing houses in NCR shift to a skeletal workforce, which added to the challenge brought upon by geography," CNN noted.
"We found that we were able to attend to and get more books directly from authors or from smaller publications during the lockdowns," said co-owner Feliz Perez. "Our local book suppliers were still able to visit the shop or bring their stock to us throughout the pandemic with little changes."
Despite having 62.86 million pesos (about $1.2 million) from their 2020 budget redirected to the government's Covid response, the National Book Development Board "was still able to organize 53 initiatives for the country's book industry, according to their 2020 State of the Book Publishing Industry report. Their Local Book Publishing Industry Development Program covered all bases, from webinars and workshops to grants and incentives to research and policy development," CNN wrote.
"NBDB has been very helpful not only in terms of promoting and championing Filipino authors, but also in making sure that independent bookshops and publishers get financial and moral support from the government," said Kristian Sendon Cordero, deputy director of the Ateneo de Naga University Press and owner of independent bookstore and art space Savage Mind in Naga.
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In the U.K., Andy and Victoria Rossiter plan to open a fourth branch of Rossiter Books. The Bookseller reported that the couple launched their first bookshop in Ross-on-Wye in 2010, adding shops in Monmouth 18 months later, and then in Leominster in 2018. The new shop will be located on Montpellier Street in Cheltenham.
Due to open in mid-March, the new space is 1,000 square feet spread over two floors. "Like its sister shops, the branch will carry a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, as well as having a strong selection of children's books. The Rossiters plan to roll out a program of events in Cheltenham, using local venues to welcome authors throughout the year. They are also currently recruiting new booksellers to work alongside themselves and existing team members," the Bookseller noted.
"We are excited to be opening our fourth branch and to be bringing Rossiter Books to this vibrant part of Cheltenham," said Andy Rossiter, who is also president of the Booksellers Association. "We hope the new shop will be a great addition to the other independent retailers in Montpellier." --Robert Gray