Book market with sales growth again for the first time
After five years of in some cases massively declining sales, the Swiss book market grew again for the first time in 2013. The reasons for the 1.7 percent increase are stabilized prices and more sales.
This was announced by the Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association (SBVV) on Monday. The total industry turnover was not explicitly communicated, but according to the information available it is likely to be between 430 and 450 million francs. A study carried out by Media Control on behalf of the SBVV puts the number of books sold in German-speaking Switzerland at around 20 million. 17 million of these were sold by the Swiss book trade. Just over a third of these were in the fiction category. Every fifth book purchased was a children's book.
According to SBCA estimates, e-books account for around eight percent of total sales. This corresponds to a doubling compared to the previous year, but is a far cry from the figures in the Anglo-Saxon book market, where e-books generate a quarter of sales. (SDA)
Image: Keystone
