Your Consumers are Avid Readers

According to a recent study…“Contrary to certain alarmist claims that there is a trend towards a lower reading rate in our society or that the Internet has had harmful effects on reading habits, this national survey has shown that reading for pleasure remains a solidly established and widespread habit with little or no change over the last 15 years.

…87% of those polled read and 54 % read virtually everyday.”1

Many consumers hold a great reverence for books. They offer, among other things such as profitability, a reason for your consumer to shop at your store location. And among those other things, Books are…

Growing in the Non-Traditional Channel

There are multiple reasons to carry books in your retail location one of the greatest is that the mass market, grocery and specialty retailers are the fastest growing segment in the industry today.  

Capture and Maintain Attention

Consumers also slow down in your book section.  They linger in your store which translates into in increased sales overall, in general. It is proven that the longer someone is in your store, the more likely they are to buy and buy more.

Beyond this, however is the magic that happens when a reader discovers a new author, a new topic, even a book for the very first time. That person, introduced to the pleasure of reading, becomes something greater ~ a reader and often there is no going back; devouring a book, an entire a series, all books by a particular author. Books capture imagination and once captured, it is often maintained for life.  

Are a Positive Experience

Books provide consumers escape, knowledge, relaxation, entertainment and inspiration. Reading provides hours of entertainment, an affordable treat in tough times. Multiple studies have been conducted, that indicate that books in your store enhance the shopping experience, that experience adds to how consumers view your overall store brand.  

Impulse purchase

Books to a certain extent are impulse purchase items - Consumers will see a display, remember a birthday, another event, or just a treat for themselves and will buy them on impulse thereby providing stores revenue they wouldn’t have had previously.

Despite today’s distractions, people are continuing to read and seek out information.  

Habit Forming

Books are also habitual in nature; Harlequin is a fantastic example of this, their loyal readers consistently frequent the rack and purchase from stores that carry them. Author allegiance also creates habitual reaction. Habitual consumers of books, comprising on average of 33-36%, (60% more than habitual magazine market size), of the market are frequent shoppers in your store and frequent the area on average every two weeks, often purchasing something else during that visit as well.   

Beneficial Beyond Immediate Sales

Beyond the profitability that books provide as a category, buyers tend to spend more than the average shopper. 70- 86% more on average!1 Those same shoppers also make more visits per year to the store. Add this to the higher than average purchase price, inventory turns and the positive branding influence and you begin to see why carrying books is just smart business.  

Risk Free

Finally, carrying books is Risk Free. The largest percentage of books are fully returnable to The News Group.

1. 2005 “Reading And Buying Books For Pleasure – 2005 National Survey” Createc + (March 2005)