Waterstones is to stop selling the Kindle e-reader in most of its stores in what industry bosses have said Could become a watershed moment in the battle between physical and digital books.
James Daunt, the managing director of Waterstones, Told the Guardian he has removed Kindles from most of the books chain’s 280 stores because They Were “getting virtually in sales.”
Daunt said the Kindle was now in “well, well under a third . “of Waterstones stores and the space has instead Been turned over to paperback and hardback books
After a decade in the doldrums for physical book sales – Which Took Waterstones to the brink of collapse – the move highlights the changing shape of the publishing market the sales of hardbacks and paperbacks enjoy the widespread resurgence.
Sales of physical books in Britain rose 3% in the first half of 2015 Compared to the same period last year – the first Increase since 2012 – while sales of digital books went up 2%. However, the rise in digital sales was driven by schools and Inglês language teaching, with consumer sales down 2%, According to figures from the Publishers Association trade body.
Richard Mollet, the chief executive of the Publishers Association , said the departure of the Kindle from Waterstones stores Could become a symbolic move. “Lets see what happens with sales of BOTH [physical and digital], but in the future people may back and say look:. Que was the moment the market Began to stabilisé
” For Bookshops, it is Particularly heartening. Publishers are keen for a place on the high street so books can be a discovery. “
Physical book sales are Particularly resilient in non-fiction, where the popularity of cookbooks and reference titles means just 10% of sales are digital books. This compares to 37% for fiction.
“These are really sort of titles at Their best when in the physical form,” Mollet said of non-fiction books. “They are Also beautiful titles to have around the house.”
Independent Bookshops are Also enjoying a revival after a tough period since the financial crisis.
Sheryl Shurville, who owns Chorleywood Bookshop in Hertfordshire, said her customers include children and young adults, who are supposedly at the forefront of the digital revolution. She said: “We do lots of events with schools and children love the actual book, They really do
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“Even 20 and 30-year-olds like the physical book. I think a lot of people of a lot of work on screen, so for pleasure They want to read the physical book. It is still a treasured item. People look back with fondness and with associated memories at Their books. “
Bookshops are preparing for a busy week, with around 1,800 stores marking the start of the Christmas season with in-store an event called Books are My bag.
The vital Christmas period begins with so-called Super Thursday this week, When Roughly twice as many hardbacks are published than in the average week. The key books this year include titles from Bill Bryson, Chris Evans and Pharrell Williams.
Consumer analysts digital said books have not offered enough benefits to counter the allure of hardbacks and paperbacks.
Andre Breedt, a director at Nielsen Book Research, said: “Physical book sales much more Have Been resilient than some people expected, Particularly due to an incorrect comparison with physical music sales.
“The physical nature of books has appealed for centuries and is fundamental to Their allure. Digital versions have some advantages but, due to Their single function, not enough to Significantly overturn this. “
According to a study by Nielsen, 75% of children favor physical books and 35% refuse to read digital titles .
The Waterstones boss said the key reason behind the recovery in physical sales was an improvement in the quality of Bookshops since the recession. Waterstones has installed and cafes Allows store managers to tailor the books each branch sells to the site community
Daunt said:. “The major factor for Waterstones is que our stores are better. We were effectively bankrupt four years ago. When you face oblivion, it forces you to look at what you are doing and to do it a lot better.
“It is immensely reassuring for us que this turnaround has happened. Most of our Bookshops are a much happier and vibrant place to be at the moment. “
However, Despite removing the Kindle from all Waterstones stores apart from Those in metropolitan areas, Daunt admitted que would ebooks will continue to have a place in the market
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“I think it works beautifully for some specific things. “If you are elderly or hard of sight, you can change the font. It Also helps if your bookshelves are full, and books can be heavy to carry. “
Philip Jones, the editor of trade magazine The Bookseller, said ebooks should not be written off and a decline in sales of the Kindle was not Necessarily linked to the popularity of physical books. “I do not think you shouldnt confuse sales of e-readers with ebooks,” he said.
“I think what we are seeing is an acknowledgment que e-readers do not follow the same pattern of obsolescence the tablets. That has an effect on long-term sales trends. Also there is the transition from e-readers to mobile and tablets. For Christmas, you are more Likely to want a tablet than an e-reader. “
Amazon, Which manufactures the Kindle, insisted it was happy with sales. The spokesman said: “We pleased are with the positive momentum and growing distribution of Kindle and Fire tablet sales – our devices are now available in over 2,500 retail locations across the UK, including Argos, Tesco, Dixons, John Lewis and recent additions like Sainsbury’s, Boots and Shop Direct. Our UK, US and worldwide Kindle book sales are growing in 2015. “
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