Trends in Trade Book Retailing 2010

While most publishers and industry pundits were caught off guard by the price wars of Amazon, Target and Walmart during fall 2009, Simba Information and the buyers of Trends in Trade Book Retailing 2009 were ready for it. Stay ahead of the curve with this all-new edition.

A sister report to our annual Business of Consumer Book Publishing which debuted in 2009, Trends in Trade Book Retailing 2010 compiles national data on who is buying books, what they're buying and where they’re buying them, as well as detailed overviews of the major channels, how their market share is trending, and what outside factors are affecting each. The report provides a “scorecard” for each channel—bookstores, the Internet, book clubs, and “other”—and a demographic overview of the average consumer.

Simba compiled data from Simmons Market Research Bureau’s national consumer survey for this analysis. The four channels are also ranked by the estimated number of customers, what formats they buy, and how many titles the consumers purchase.

To gain a better understanding of the relationship consumers have with books on the retail level, Simba has added this essential analysis to its annual research collection.

With the book retailing segment as challenged as it is, no publisher, retailer, or industry analyst can afford not to have this vital tool.

Table of Contents

Methodology

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Chapter 2: Channel Trends & Demographics

Introduction

Estimated Size of the Book Market (Retail Level)

Book Consumption Trends

The Four Channels

Other Trends in Book Retailing

Demographic Data and the Channels

Gender

Age

Race

Region and Metro Markets

Education Level

Employment Status

Profession

Individual & Household Income

Marital Status

No. of People in Household

No. of Children in Household

Age of Children in Household

Type and Value of Residence

Table 2.1: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Consumers Who Did/Did Not Buy a Book in Previous 12 Months

Table 2.2: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Sales Channel Trends

Table 2.3: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Buying Books as Gifts

Table 2.4: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Customer Trends

Table 2.5: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Sales Channel Trends

Table 2.6: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): The Channels Crossed Against Themselves

Table 2.7: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Allocations: Type of Book Purchased

Table 2.8: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Allocation: No. of Hardcover Books Purchased

Table 2.9: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Allocation: No. of Paperback Books Purchased

Table 2.10: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Gender

Table 2.11: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Age

Table 2.12: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Race

Table 2.13: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Region

Table 2.14: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Metro Market

Table 2.15: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Education Level

Table 2.16: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Employment Status

Table 2.17: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Profession

Table 2.18: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Individual Income

Table 2.19: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Household Income

Table 2.20: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Marital Status

Table 2.21: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by No. of People in Household

Table 2.22: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Age of Children in Household

Table 2.23: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Type of Residence

Table 2.24: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Channel Preferences by Value of Residence

Chapter 3: Bookstore Performance and Challenges

Introduction

The Importance of Bookstores Over Other Channels

Bookstore Trends

Superstores and Small-Format Store Closings

Performance and Outlook of the Big Three Chains

Barnes & Noble

Borders Group

Books-A-Million

Operating performances at he Big Three Chains

Independent Booksellers and Small Chains

Table 3.1: Bookstore Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 3.2: Bookstore ONLY Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 3.3: Number of Superstore Outlets, 2005-2009

Table 3.4: Big Three Stores Outlets by State

Table 3.5: Leading Bookstore Chains Revenue Growth, 2005-2009

Table 3.6: Growth in Superstore Sales, Major Retail Chains, 2005-2009

Table 3.7: Big Three Bookstore Chains Operating Performance, 2005-2009

Table 3.8: Who is The Most Common/Least Common Customer at Your Sore? _47

Table 3.9: What One Factor Results in the Most Increased Store Traffic at Independents?

Table 3.10: How was the First Four Months of 2010 at Your Store Compares to the Same Period 2009?

Chapter 4: Internet Retailing and Digital Distribution

Introduction

Amazon.com

The Big Three

eBay and the Purveyance of Used Books

E-Books

Online Book Buyer Characteristics

Online ONLY Book Buyer Characteristics

Table 4.1: Amazon’s North American and Total Media Sales Growth, 2002-2009

Table 4.2: Amazon’s North American Media Sales as a Percentage of Total Sales, 2002-2009

Table 4.3: Revenue Leading Online Booksellers, 2005-2009

Table 4.4: Book Auctions on eBay, July 2008-March 2009

Table 4.5: Book Auctions on eBay with Store Inventories Included, August 2008-March 2009

Table 4.6: Devices Used to Read E-Books, 2009

Table 4.7: Online Book Buyers: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 4.8: Online ONLY Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Chapter 5: The Growth of Non-Bookstore Retailers and Their Impact

Introduction

Overview of Buyers

Table 5.1: Number of Stores, Big Three vs. Big Box

Table 5.2: Price Comparison of the Top 10 Bestselling Books at Select Stores, April 2009

Table 5.3: “Other” Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Chapter 6: Consumer Psychographics

Introduction

Table 6.1: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Attitudes and Opinions of the Internet by Channel, Any Agree

Table 6.2: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Attitudes and Opinions of Television by Channel

Table 6.3: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Attitudes and Opinions of Advertising by Channel

Table 6.4: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Attitudes and Opinions of Shopping by Channel

Table 6.5: Overview of Book Purchasing Population (U.S. Adults): Impulse Shopping Habits by Channel

Chapter 7: Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

Recommendations

Chapter 8: Channel Profiles

Introduction

Table 8.1: Book Club Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 8.2: Book Store Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 8.3: Book Store ONLY Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 8.4: Online Book Buyers: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 8.5: Online ONLY Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Table 8.6: “Other” Users: Key Statistics and Demographics

Profiles of Leading Booksellers

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Borders Group

eBay Inc.