Sales: novels before children's books
Books are becoming more expensive, yet more are being sold. Almost 40 percent of books sold in Switzerland are novels.
After five consecutive years of falling sales, in some cases sharply, the book trade saw a turnaround in 2013: Compared to the previous year, sales of printed books increased by 1.7 percent (Werbewoche.ch reported). The average price of a book has risen from CHF 20 to CHF 21.15, as reported by the newspapers Zentralschweiz am Sonntag and Ostschweiz am Sonntag. Nevertheless, Dani Landolf, Managing Director of the Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association, assumes "that more books have actually been sold". The figures were compiled by market researchers from Media Control/GfK on behalf of the association.
Consumers in German-speaking Switzerland bought a total of over 20 million books. Novels lead the hit parade of the most frequently purchased books (down from 39.3 to 37.2 percent). Children's and youth books are in second place (from 18.7 to 19.1 percent). Guidebooks are in third place with 15.5 percent. On average, a fiction book costs 18 francs (hardcover and paperback) and a children's book 15.20 francs. (OaS)
