Whitcoulls celebrate resurgence in reading with Love Books

Whitcoulls celebrate resurgence in reading with Love Books Week

To celebrate the resurgence in New Zealanders’ reading – particularly amongst our nation’s younger readers – Whitcoulls is holding Love Books Week, to particularly recognise the importance of this area of the business, which will run from May 9 to 15, 2016.

Inspired by our nation of ‘book worms’, Whitcoulls has deliberately timed its Love Books Week campaign to coincide with the must-see calendar event, the Auckland Writers Festival (AWF), 10-15 May 2016. In recognition of the huge contribution AWF makes to the literary landscape, Whitcoulls would like to congratulate the Festival committee for once again putting together such a stellar line-up of international and local authors.

According to the latest Whitcoulls sales figures, books are thriving. The range and quantity of books sold to their customers continues to grow, added to which is the resurgence in reading, and in sourcing reading material locally, rather than from overseas.

Whitcoulls Book Manager Joan Mackenzie says, “We’re hearing from many of our customers that e-books are no longer their preferred format; they’re just another alternative to traditional reading habits. Electronic books make ideal travelling companions, but after their initial popularity, it seems they no longer dominate peoples’ reading time. People love physical books because they don’t run out of battery, you can drop them and they won’t break – and they’re great on the beach!”

Whitcoulls is especially pleased to see the consistent increase in children’s book sales. Younger readers have always had the choice of formats in which to read – the technology of e-readers and e-books was never a new excitement for them, and it’s been fascinating to see the degree to which young readers are clearly choosing actual books over technology. “We believe this is a great platform for the development of their education, knowledge and wellbeing, and it seems highly likely that this generation will continue to read books into the future. This tells us that books are here to stay and that the many predictions about their demise in recent years have been overstated”.

The fiction category is flourishing, despite it being the first genre to be disrupted by technology. There are as many – or more – wonderful books being written by very talented authors, as there have ever been.
Whitcoulls Book Week will be rolled out across its 56 stores nationwide and feature eye-catching book displays and merchandising. This will be complemented by a ‘Kids’ Lit Quiz’ flyer for kids who love reading, packed with book related questions, a crossword and book bingo. For more, visit: http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/.

Whitcoulls is a major national retailer offering a wide selection of stationery, educational toys, puzzles, games, books, gifts, greeting cards and wrap. Whitcoulls was founded over 130 years ago when George Tombs, a printer and bookbinder, and George Whitcombe, a publisher and bookseller, combined their businesses to create a national publishing company. Whitcombe & Tombs merged with key competitor Coulls Somerville Wilkie, and was renamed Whitcoulls in 1973. Whitcoulls is now proudly New Zealand owned by the James Pascoe Group.

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