ISBN 1-85765-788-8

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

MARKET POSITION

MARKET SECTORS

MARKET SHARE

MARKET TRENDS

Table 1: UK Publishing Sales by Sector (£m and percent), 1997e

Table 2: Sector Share of the UK Retail Book Market by Value ( percent), 1992-1997

Table 3: Average Weekly Household Expenditure on Books and Other Leisure Goods (£ and percent), 1997

Table 4: Top Ten Paperback Bestsellers (number), 1997

Table 5: Top Ten Hardback Bestsellers (number), 1997

Market Size

THE TOTAL MARKET

MARKET SECTORS

Table 6: The Retail Value of the UK Book Market (£m), 1985-1997

Table 7: Output of Books in the UK, 1986-1996

Table 8: Output of Books in the UK by Sector (number and percent), 1996

Table 9: Major Categories of Book Titles Published in the UK (number and percent), January to June 1996 and 1997

Industry Background

RECENT HISTORY

MARKET SECTORS

THE NET BOOK AGREEMENT

LIBRARY SUPPLY

DISTRIBUTION

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Table 10: Categories of Books Sold Through Supermarkets and Other Outlets ( percent), 12 Weeks to 29th November 1997

Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

LEADING COMPANIES

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

Table 11: Financial Results of Leading Booksellers (£m and £000), 1996/1997

Table 12: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Bookshops (£000), Year Ending September 1996 and 1997

Table 13: Main Media Advertising Expenditure by Book Clubs (£000), Year Ending September 1996 and 1997

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Buying Behaviour

BOOK PURCHASING PATTERNS

Table 14: Book Buying Habits of Purchasers of Books in Great Britain in the Last 12 Months ( percent adults), 1995 and 1997

Table 15: Penetration of Purchasers of Hardback and Paperback Books by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region ( percent adults), 1997

Table 16: Profile of Purchasers of Hardback and Paperback Books by Sex, Age, Social Grade and Region ( percent adults), 1997

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

DISTRIBUTORS

SHOPFITTING COMPANIES

EPOS SYSTEMS COMPANIES

DESIGNERS

Current Issues

BOOKSELLING AND THE INTERNET

SUPERMARKET RETAILING

COMPANY NEWS

Forecasts

FUTURE TRENDS

FORECASTS 1998 TO 2002

Table 17: Forecast Retail Value of the UK Book Market (£m), 1998-2002

Company Profiles

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Sources

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

HBI UK INFORMATION SOURCES

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The bookselling industry is still adjusting to the effects of the ending of the Net Book Agreement (NBA), and it is still not entirely clear whether the heavy retail discounting which has ensued will increase volume sales in the long term, or will simply devalue the market.

According to the Publishers Association (PA) (which has revised the figures it has published in previous years), in 1996 the retail value of the market was £2.7bn. This represents a fall of 2 percent since 1995. Consumer books accounted for 66.6 percent of value sales in 1996 -- a lower proportion than was the case in the 2 previous years -- which can be attributed to discounting in this sector. Key Note estimates the figure at £2.8bn for 1997.

The academic and professional, and school book sectors have both been affected by cutbacks in public spending; for example, in student grants, as well as in funding for schools and higher education. Library suppliers have had a difficult year, and recent consolidation has resulted in a reduction of the number of major library suppliers to five.

Supermarkets have entered the bookselling market in earnest since the ending of the NBA, concentrating mainly on mass market fiction; their market share is now estimated to be nearly 10 percent. High Street multiples are performing less well. WH Smith was outperformed by Waterstone's, which is also part of the group, and, following a failed takeover bid for the group by Tim Waterstone, announced that it would be selling off Waterstone's in 1998.

Bookselling through the Internet, although still in its infancy, is beginning to have an impact. A number of UK specialist chains have initiated or relaunched their Web sites during 1997 to try and compete with US Internet booksellers, such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The Publishers Association has taken steps to try and protect UK publishers from the possible importation of cheap US editions through the Internet.

Future growth of the market is expected to be modest, with retail sales growing by 26.3 percent, to just over £3.4bn, by the year 2002.

Text © 1998 Key Note

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