Book market in 2022: a good year, despite everything
After a historic 2021, the book sector is expected to disappoint in 2022. Finally, sales figures exceeded the best half-year estimates. According to the Xerfi barometer for Weekly Book, compared to a very good year in 2021, book sales fell slightly throughout 2022, down 2%. Despite this decrease, sales made in 2022 remain higher than those made in 2019: + 5.4% in this interval. This makes 2e best year of sales in ten years, thanks to an increase in activity at the end of the year. With 16% of the figure reached in December (+3% vs 2021), according to GFK, week 51, before Christmas, is the most profitable for sales.
A European observation
The disturbances of 2022 are many, first and foremost a positive observation: this is the first year without closure or opening restrictions for shops since 2020. France recorded a significant increase in its turnover from the book compared to 2019 (+11%), according to GFK. Not only this: Italy, Spain and the Netherlands will show a growth of +19% in 2022, Portugal +14% and Belgium of Flanders +12%. French-speaking Belgium, for its part, grew in 2022 by +9% compared to 2020. Market shares by department did not change significantly from one year to the next.
Relative decline in the youth and practical sectors
With 87 million copies sold (-1% compared to 2021) and 1.051 million euros in turnover (-2%), general literature remains the mainstay of the market (27% share). Manga, which sells 1 in 4 titles in the Top 100, and comics, which seem to have reached a plateau in 2021, followed with 23% of the book market share. Between them, these categories monopolize 50% of the sector’s total turnover in France and have increased their market share by 10 points in the last ten years. Youth and practical departments show a decrease of 1 point compared to 2021, but this is a relative decrease because, like the sector, 2022 is the second in terms of turnover for these departments in ten years . .
Back to 2019 pocket values
In 2022, the pocket format is almost stable, thanks to literature. 81 million passed, as in 2019, against 83 million in 2021, but the turnover evolution resists -1%, thanks to an inflationary context (+6% compared to 2019 ). Big impact in 2022: the -27% drop in sales volume of the Top 10, dominated this year by comics The endless world by Jean-Marc Jancovici and Christophe Blain (Dargaud), 525,000 copies. The 2022 literary season, characterized by a supply that decreased by 10% compared to 2021, achieved a positive result with +6% in turnover and +17% in average sales for the title.
The reduced impact of the grand prix
However, the “grands prix effect” is less lively in 2022. The explanation may be due to the unprecedented outcome for the beginning of this century of the Goncourt prize, where academics were openly divided. The Kremlin Mage by Giuliano da Empoli (Gallimard) and live fast by Brigitte Giraud (Flammarion), sales of this latest award-winning Drouant title climbed to between 20,000 and 25,000 copies per week after the Goncourt award, compared to 40,000 to 45,000 in the previous three editions. Moreover, 2022 is not the year of the digital transition. After two historically strong years, digital book sales are down 4% compared to 2021, up 11% compared to 2019.
A sharp drop in attendance, a solid average basket
In 2022, fewer customers appear to visit bookstores compared to 2021. According to Xerfi, establishments reporting a drop in attendance are more numerous than a year ago (43% compared to 30% in last quarter of 2021 ), and those reporting increased attendance are fewer (33% compared to 48% last year). While book prices have risen in recent months, the average basket remains stable at €20 for the whole of 2022, with a peak of €22 in the fourth quarter similar to last year. The return rate increased by 1% between December 2021 and December 2022, reaching, all channels combined, 22.5% for the year as a whole. The average inventory level decreased from 81 to 89 days between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the end of 2022. Logically, these data led to an increase in establishments reporting a decrease in cash (+ 9% a year) and decline in those. reporting an increase in their cash position (-20%). Even if these raw figures are negative, they relate to an exceptional year 2021 for the book sales sector, and remain for the most part, thanks to a dynamic end of the year, beyond the data for 2019. .
A relative rejection
A relative rejection
framed
With -2% in sales volume in 2022 compared to an exceptional year in 2021 with double-digit growth (+12.5%), the sector resisted the decline in this inflationary period of the multi-sector crisis and remains on the course of growth compared to 2019 , the last reference year, with a cumulative +5.4%.
A shrinking place in the household basket
A shrinking place in the household basket
framed
The book sector is below the average rate of French spending on retail businesses, almost 5 points lower at the end of November 2022. The change took place in May, after fifteen consecutive months in which the book is 5 to 7 points above all retail products sold in France.
Selling points are falling
Selling points are falling
framed
Large-scale cultural distribution resists better than bookstores
Large-scale cultural distribution resists better than bookstores
framed
Sales trends in bookstores 1eh and 2e levels decreased, respectively, to -3.4% and -5.8% throughout 2022. However, retailers remain better than hypermarkets, which show a downward trend at -7.8% . Large cultural surfaces, both physical and online, are aging with a positive but declining growth rate of 1.4%.
Manga and comic only in shape
Manga and comic only in shape
framed
All departments suffered this year after exceptional performances in 2021. All of them? No! Two sectors still and always fighting the decline: manga/comics, with +9.5% compared to an explosive year 2021 (+34%). As a symbol, the best-selling title in France in all departments is the comic book Un monde sans fin (Dargaud). The pocket (+1.5%) also escaped the turnaround.
Production decreased slightly
Production decreased slightly
framed
With 67,646 novelties and new editions (-0.8%) according to our provisional Livres Hebdo/Electre Data Services data, book production has returned to the average of the last ten years, after a decline in 2020 (-11.2%).
Book price increases are lower than inflation
Book price increases are lower than inflation
framed
With an average rate of +1.5 throughout 2022 – compared to +5.2% for the general consumption index – the book price index has handled inflation better, however, its rate tripled between January (+0.7% ) and December (+2.4 %).
