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Summary of our market study
The French book market is estimated at 4.4 billion euros in 2023.
The global book market is expected to exceed 140 billion euros in 2023, with annual growth of nearly 1%.
In France, traditional bookstores are faced with the need to reinvent themselves in the face of competition from e-commerce giants such as Amazon, which dominates with a 50% market share of online book sales.
There has been a steady decline in physical book sales, despite the fact that the cultural sector makes a significant contribution to the French economy, and that bookshops are the main means of purchasing books.
The number of independent bookshops has fallen sharply in recent years to around 3,500.
Competition also comes from specialist superstores such as Fnac and Cultura, which occupy a considerable segment of the market.
Faced with this competition, traditional bookshops are striving to offer a wider range of products, including children's books and mangas, and are experimenting with innovative models such as book cafés to diversify their revenue streams.
Growth in the French book market is weak.
The bookstore market in France.
The arrival of e-commerce giants has disrupted the market. Traditional bookshops are adapting and rethinking their strategies to maintain their relevance and competitiveness in a difficult environment.
France ranks sixth in the world in terms of market value. Some 490 million books are sold here.
Bookshops account for 40% of physical book purchases in the country. French bookstore sales are around 1.8 billion euros.
France posted a slight trade deficit. French-speaking countries such as Belgium, Switzerland and Canada are key export markets for French books.
Nearly 90% of French people claim to be readers, with a large proportion buying at least one book a year. Men prefer comic books and women lifestyle and leisure books.
The average annual expenditure per buyer is around 116 euros.
The majority of book buyers frequent several channels outside bookshops, including specialist superstores (GSS), food superstores (GSA) and online retailers.
Some 26% of book buyers do not buy from bookshops, citing lack of proximity, availability and higher prices.
French bookstore market players
- Fnac is one of the "big specialist stores
- Cultura is another giant in this category
- Gibert Joseph
- Furet du Nord (Decitre group)
- The "Réseau des librairies indépendantes" are regional associations
- In online distribution" Amazon France is a market leader
to understand this market
Detailed content of our market study
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
A bookshop defines any business whose main activity is the sale of books. This can be studied in part using APE code 47.61Z "Retail sale of books in specialized stores", but not only, since it also includes the activities of certain superstores specialized in the distribution of cultural products. Alongside bookshops, non-specialized superstores are also involved in book sales in France.
On a global scale, book sales are expected to grow by 1.8% between 2024 and 2030.
The French market is also growing, but at a slightly slower rate (1%). This is due to the changing entertainment and leisure habits of the French, as well as changes in market structure with the entry of new players and new offer formats. Nevertheless, 86% of French people will be readers in 2023, compared with 81% in 2021. In the same context, the proportion of those who say they don't read at all is down 5 points on 2021.
In terms of preferences, practical and lifestyle books are read by all age groups, coming in first place for those under 65. Books on history are the most popular choice for those aged 65 and over.
The main customer countries for French book exports are, logically, partially French-speaking countries: first and foremost Belgium, followed by Switzerland; conversely, the main supplier countries are Spain and Italy, followed by the UK.
In a constantly evolving market, traditional bookstores are forced to reinvent themselves and adapt their value proposition to better meet consumer expectations, while avoiding losing further ground to e-commerce players. However, despite being the second most important physical distribution channel for books, after specialized superstores, they remain the preferred place of purchase for the French.
1.2 The global book market is driving the bookstore market
The global book market was estimated at $***.** billion in **** (***), and is expected to grow at a CAGR of +*.*% over the period ****-****. [***]
This gives the following estimates for the period ****-****:
World book market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****
Until ****, growth in the global book market was strongly driven ...
1.3 The recovery of the national market in the context of the health crisis
The book sector remains in good health. In ****, the book market will record sales of over *.* billion euros, the second-best performance of the decade after **** (***), according to GFK estimates. Compared to ****, sales are up by just *%. [***]
Book market sales France, ****-****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****
In ****, after a steady ...
1.4 Foreign trade analysis
The data below concerns customs code ****, "books, brochures and similar printed matter, excluding periodicals and advertising material". However, this customs code does not include dictionaries and encyclopedias.
France's balance of trade in books was in deficit in ****, with exports of *** million euros and imports of ***.* million euros. There will thus be ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Reading, a widespread activity among French people
In ****, according to a study carried out by IPSOS for the Centre National du Livre, **% of French people will claim to be readers, compared with **% according to the same study carried out in ****. Of these, **% claim to read "a lot", **% "moderately" and **% "little". The proportion of those who say they don't ...
2.2 Buyer profiles and book-buying behavior
Among the **% of paper book buyers in ****, **% say they read more than ** books a year. **% read between * and ** books, and a quarter of the population read between * and * books a year. This represents an average of ** books read in paper format.
French reading habits France, ****-****, in % of French people Source: ...
2.3 Reading between leisure and work
In ****, **% of French people blamed lack of time for the decline in reading. However, the figures are rising, particularly the proportion of French people reading outside the home, which has risen from **% in **** to **% in ****. Finally, the evening, before going to bed, remains the French people's favorite reading time, with **% of ...
2.4 Cyclical demand
Monthly sales index data for activity code **.**Z (***) provided by INSEE reveal a highly seasonal market. [***]
In fact, there are two busy periods for bookstores every year: one in summer and September (***).
Sales indices for book retailing in specialized stores (***) France, ****-****, base *** (***) Source: ****
3 Market structure
3.1 Book value chain
The book chain brings together various players, each with a specific role to play:
The author is responsible for writing the book. The printer is responsible for its physical production. The publisher, at the heart of the process, acts as a "conductor", coordinating the various parties involved. In particular, he is ...
3.2 The economic fabric of bookshops in France
We're looking here at activity code **.**Z, or "Retail sale of books in specialized stores"[***]. In ****, *,*** establishments were registered under this activity code, employing a total of **,*** people. However, despite the increase in the number of establishments, the number of employees is shrinking.
Number of bookshops France, ****-****, in number of ...
3.3 Book circuits in France
There are four main distribution channels for books in France:
Bookshops; Specialist superstores (***), such as Fnac, Cultura or Leclerc Culture; Non-specialized sup erstores; Online sales platforms.
Bookshops are the *ᵉ physical distribution channel for books, coming in just after specialist superstores, but they remain the number one place of purchase for the ...
3.4 Increasingly fierce competition from e-commerce
By ****, online sales will account for **% of book sales[***]. Even so, the main distribution network remains physical sales, and bookshops in particular.
In fact, more and more French people are buying books online as a complement to the books they buy in physical sales outlets. GfK reports that */* of online book ...
3.5 Networked bookshops
In ****, **% of bookstores surveyed were affiliated to at least one industry association or organization, whether national or local, compared to **% in ****. Furthermore, **% of respondents are members of a single organization, down slightly from **% in ****. Nearly three-quarters of booksellers who are not affiliated to any organization set up their business less than ...
3.6 A franchise like no other
The Mon Chat Pitre bookshop, set up in **** in Aix-en-Provence by Solène Chavanne and Jean-Philippe Doux, quickly became a huge success, doubling its sales in the space of three years. Building on this success, the founders decided to develop a network of franchises called "ronron librairies". A call for applications ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 An ever-expanding range of products
The French market boasts one of the widest ranges of books on the market, and this offer has only increased over the years. According to estimates by the French Ministry of Culture (***) , ***,*** titles are available in France, and **,*** new titles, a rate of production that has tripled since the ****s.
Production ...
4.2 Book price components
The price of books has been unique in France since the law of August **, **** (***).
According to figures published by the Syndicat National de l'Edition in ****, the largest share of the book price goes to the bookshop (***), while the distributor, printer and publisher each receive **%, **% and **% respectively. [***]
Breakdown of book prices France, ...
4.3 The strengths of bookshops compared with other distribution channels
Despite the difficulties they may encounter, bookstores remain a channel with strong competitive advantages over other channels. The French are attached to them, and more of them than ever before say they go there, according to a study by Ipsos for the CNL: **% of them now do so, surpassing the supermarkets. ...
4.4 Supply trends: new bookstore models
As in ****, a large proportion of new bookshops are dedicated to multiple activities: **.*% include the sale of products other than books. The number of bookshop-cafés remained stable between the two surveys, with just over one in four (***). Other varied products are also on offer, from gourmet takeaways to IT services ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Book prices in France
The price of books in France is set by the law of August **, ****, known as the Lang law (***), which establishes the following framework:
The publisher is required to set a retail price, which must be marked on the back of the book; The point of sale may not sell the book ...
5.2 The LIR Label
The LIR (***) label is awarded by the French Ministry of Culture for * years, and aims to promote and support the work of independent booksellers.
It offers bookstores the opportunity to :
Promote the label to customers and institutional or private partners; Benefit from an exemption from the CET(***); Benefit from more favorable ...
5.3 Taxation
Book taxation
The French General Tax Code(***) stipulates that works meeting the fiscal definition of a book are subject to the reduced VAT rate of *.*%. A book is a set of printed matter, illustrated or not, published under a title, the purpose of which is to reproduce a work of the ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
The following segmentation is used for players in the bookstore market:
- Cultura
- Gibert Joseph
- Furet du Nord Decitre (Nosoli)
- Auzou
- Editis
- Hachette Livre Groupe
- Fnac Darty
- Amazon
- Michel Lafon Publishing
- Éditions Philippe Amaury
- Fleurus Editions
- Editions Albert René (Hachette Groupe)
- EDITIONS DE L'HOMME SANS NOM
- EDITIONS MONDADORI France
- EDITIONS DU SEUIL
- Rose & Lilas Editions
- Kana Editions (Dargaud Media Participations)
- Éditions Dupuis (Media Participations)
- Sejer (Groupe Editis)
- Interforum (Editis Groupe)
- Albin Michel Groupe
- Armand Colin Dunod Editions (Lagardère groupe)
- Nathan (Editis groupe)
- Bordas (Editis)
- Le Robert (Editis))
- Retz Editions (Editis)
- Educlever (Editis Groupe)
- Didier Editions (Hatier Hachette)
- Dunod (Lagardère Groupe)
- Editions De Boeck Supérieur (Albin Michel groupe)
- Laballery Imprimerie
- Fayard (Hachette Livres)
- Editions 2024
List of charts presented in this market study
- World book market
- Number of books sold
- Book market sales
- Sales trends for publishers
- Distribution of bookstores by total sales level
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Latest news
FNAC Darty to launch takeover bid for Italy's Unieuro on Monday - 30/08/2024
- FNAC Darty, which already holds a 4.4% stake in Unieuro, announced in mid-July its intention to buy the Italian chain of 500 electrical goods stores.
- Unieuro controls 17% of the Italian market, with a presence concentrated in the north and center of the country, the wealthiest areas.
The 2024 editions have arrived at their destination - 21/08/2024
- - Founded: 2010
- - Founders: Simon Liberman and Olivier Bron
- - Number of annual publications: 16 books
- - Annual sales: approx. 1 million euros
- - Thematic shift: From genre comics (science fiction, thrillers, adventure) to more political subjects (ecology, colonialism)
- - Company size: 4 full-time and 4 part-time employees
- - Proportion of children's collection in annual publications: around one-third
FNAC Darty in the running to take over its Italian counterpart - 17/07/2024
- - Unieuro is valued at €249 million as part of the takeover bid launched by FNAC Darty.
- - FNAC Darty already holds a 4.4% stake in Unieuro, and is aiming for 90%.
- - Unieuro has 500 stores and around 5,000 employees.
- - Unieuro's sales in 2023 were €2.6 billion, with 14% coming from online sales and net income of €44.5 million.
- - After the operation, FNAC Darty would target sales of over 10 billion euros and 30,000 employees, controlling the market in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
- - FNAC Darty's sales outside France could approach 50% of total sales.
Retail Media: Fnac Darty points of sale also become media outlets - 31/05/2024
- - Retail media sales in 2023 in France: Over 1 billion euros.
- - Retailink (Fnac Darty's advertising network) sales in 2023: 90 million euros.
- - Total sales for Fnac Darty in 2023: 7.88 billion euros.
- - Number of unique visitors per month to the Fnac Darty website: 16.3 million.
- - Number of unique visitors who may be exposed to Fnac Darty advertising outside the site: 12 million.
- - Number of screens in Fnac stores: 1,500 in 450 stores.
- - Total number of stores in the Fnac network: 987.
- - Percentage of screens in Fnac stores equipped with trackers to measure advertising audience: 25%.
- - Amazon: 38.5 million unique visitors per month.
- - Cdiscount: 23.8 million unique visitors per month.
- - Fnac Darty: Over 16 million unique visitors per month.
- - E. Leclerc: 15.7 million unique visitors per month.
- - Carrefour: 14.5 million unique visitors per month.
Hachette: Isabelle Saporta to be sacked as head of Fayard - 11/03/2024
- - Fayard is one of the two most prestigious French general literature houses in the Hachette group.
- - Fayard generated sales of 34 million euros last year.
Hachette: tension mounts at Fayard - 02/03/2024
- Hachette is the French market leader in publishing.
- It belongs to the Vivendi group, which is controlled by the Bolloré family.
- Fayard is one of Hachette's two most prestigious general literature houses, the other being Grasset.
- A publishing house, Mazarine, has been created within Hachette.
- In 2023, Fayard achieved historic sales of 34 million euros.
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