Buoyant Booksellers Stare Down Recession

29 July 2009

Media Release

Buoyant Booksellers Stare Down Recession

The independent booksellers of New Zealand are in a buoyant mood. The vast majority are trading at levels comparable with or better than the previous year, according to feedback received at the annual Booksellers N.Z. conference held in Auckland recently.

Convener of the Independents' forum, John McIntyre of The Children's Bookshop in Wellington, said that a poll of those attending "indicates almost all are optimistic about the future of their businesses''. While they had been prepared for the retail recession to adversely affect their turnover, that had not been the case to date.

Peter Rigg, co-owner of Page and Blackmore Booksellers in Nelson, winner of the South Island Bookshop of the Year for the second year running, has experienced 8% growth in the first quarter of the year and puts much of their continued success down to local support.
"Our commitment to our community rather than to shareholders is a key factor in our success in riding out the recession."

Jo McColl, owner of Unity Books which has stores in Wellington (winner of the best Independent Bookshop in New Zealand) and Auckland, says good bookshops and good book readers "hand pick" each other. "Many of our customers are as knowledgeable about books and their authors as we are."
She also says that the staff they are attracting are smarter than ever. " With corporate employment options reduced and bookselling seen as both a desirable job and a great training for people with ambitions in publishing or writing, new graduates are looking to work in good bookstores for the quality experience they can gain. They get to read great literature, rub shoulders with the best local and visiting authors, and have fun doing it"

Children's books have proved to be the real growth area. McIntyre, whose own store had their best year ever with 12% growth, says that the trend has been driven by parents and grandparents looking for value gifts for children. "They actually comment that they are being much more selective with their purchases. They may reduce their buying for adults in the family or for friends, but they never stop buying for children".

There are also signs that the sector is seen as a desirable career choice, with a fringe event for people considering a life in bookselling attracting a healthy attendance, and great interest shown in the session being repeated in other centres. Booksellers New Zealand CEO, Lincoln Gould said "Many people have a dream of owning and running a bookshop, and the programme is designed to provide practical information on buying stock, managing the back office and selling, knowledge of which are essential to turning the dream into reality".

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