Book Stores
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 2,479 book store firms in the US primarily sell books, magazines, and other types of reading materials. Major revenue categories include trade books; text books; CDs, records, and related audio products; religious books; mass market paperbacks; and magazines and newspapers. Book stores also sell meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, novelty items, and stationery products. The industry is concentrated; the top four companies account for 69% of industry revenue.
Challenges of eBooks
Electronic books and their proprietary formats have been a challenge for independent book stores.
Competition from Alternative Sources
Book stores compete with a variety of alternative sources, including online retailers, traditional retailers, electronic distributors, publishers, and libraries.
Industry size & Structure
The average independent book store operates out of a single location, employs 10-11 workers and generates $3.6 million annually.
- The book store industry is comprised of 2,479 firms that operate 5,733 stores, employ 66,700 workers and generate $9 billion in annual revenue.
- The industry is concentrated; the top four companies account for 69% of industry revenue.
- Large companies include Barnes & Noble, Follett Corporation, Books-a-Million, and Family Christian Stores.
- The average per-student materials expenditure is about $38 per class or $339 per academic year, according to the National Association for College Stores.
Industry Forecast
Book Stores Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 19, 2024 - Prices Increase
- Book stores increased prices slightly during 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Prices increased even as sales decreased during much of the year, according to the US Census Bureau. Industry employment decreased moderately during the first half of 2023 before increasing to January levels by the end of the year, while average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased significantly during 2023, according to the BLS.
- Holiday season unit print sales at outlets that report to Circana BookScan increased 1% year over year in 2023. There was a 4% increase in valuation based on “manufacturer’s suggested retail prices” caused by 2023’s price increases on new books, according to industry analyst Kristen McLean. A 767-million-unit volume level “made 2023 the fourth strongest year on record since 2018,” up 10% over 2019’s volumes, according to McLean.
- Industry giant Barnes & Noble has plans to open more than 50 new stores in 2024. Company executives say that the firm is enjoying exceptionally strong sales in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after closing over 100 during the past 15 years. Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in 2022 than it had during the whole decade from 2009 to 2019. The bookseller opened over 30 new bookstores in 2023.
- Consistent experiences from one store to the next, a key principle for most retailers, may backfire for book stores, according to James Daunt, who made Waterstones the largest book store chain in the UK and has brought about a turnaround at Barnes & Noble. Following that approach in book stores leads to an “inherently boring” experience for customers whose tastes vary based on the local community, according to Daunt. Uniform bookstores also leave curation, or the lack thereof, to publishers who pay for their titles to be placed on display tables. The Daunt model calls for turning over bookstore decisions to the managers and associates who engage daily with customers and share their love of reading. This approach means that experiences are tailored by the community.
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