Book trade taps Pokémon Go trend

Official Pokémon publisher Scholastic has been enjoying a surge of interest in licensing, while UK booksellers and libraries are seizing the opportunity to convert wandering gamers into new customers as the Pokémon Go craze takes hold of Britain.

A spokesperson for Scholastic, which has sold almost 500,000 copies between The Official Pokemon Handbook and The Official Pokemon Collector’s Sticker Book combined since their publication, according to Nielsen BookScan, said sales ahead of the game’s launch last week had been “consistently very strong”, with a surge of interest in the licence it owns. 

The publisher's Pokémon-related publishing for the autumn is set to include a Kalos Now You See It! flip book, a Legendary & Mythical Pokemon Handbook with stickers and a Kalos Essential Activity Book. 

Elizabeth Scoggins, Scholastic publisher for licensing, said: “As the game just launched, we won't have post-Go sales data until next week. But sales overall for Pokémon books have been consistently very strong across several titles for the last few months. There definitely has been increased interest in the licence in anticipation of the game release and the Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook is our current bestselling title.”

Booksellers have been ordering in more Pokémon-related stock to meet renewed demand from customers and engaging in promotional activity to join in the fun - even where it is outside their usual product offering. 

Rebecca MacAlister, Oxford area manager for Blackwell’s, said: "We have certainly had more interest in Pokémon since Pokémon Go came out last week and have ordered in more stock to meet the demand. Although it may not be 'normal' Blackwell's range we are always seeking opportunities to meet our customers' needs.”

Blackwell’s ran a Pokémon GO photo competition last week encouraging customers and gamers to catch Pokémon in store, emailing customers on the day of the mobile game’s UK launch to say it had already found Pokémon in its flagship Oxford bookshop. 

It also offered £10 off a Pokémon Adventures manga box set by Hidnori Kusaka, while Waterstones in Birmimgham has been offering money off drinks if customers can catch a Pokémon on their premises. 

Waterstones’ children’s buyer, Florentyna Martin, said guidebooks and manga titles were selling especially well. She said: “Children are letting their imaginations go wild in the Pokémon universe and these future Pokémon Masters are on the lookout for anything that will help them on their journey, including guidebooks and manga titles from the bestselling brand. Some of our shops are joining in the fun based on their individual customer interest but we’ve seen a wide-reaching enthusiastic buzz of conversation in bookshops as children (and adults) log in to the bestselling game."

Richard Drake, owner of independent bookshop Drake The Bookshop in Stockton, has been participating in Pokémon conversation on social media with photo posts, and said it was “noticeable" how many more people there were on the high street, "even if they have their heads buried in their phone”. 

"I think it's a good thing seeing so many kids out and about - now we just need to work on getting them just as immersed in books and letting their imaginations run wild,” he said.

A daft looking character ..... And a drowzee! #CatchEmAll pic.twitter.com/lhU1RZassR

— DRAKE The Bookshop (@drakebookshop)

A daft looking character ..... And a drowzee! #CatchEmAll pic.twitter.com/lhU1RZassR

— DRAKE The Bookshop (@drakebookshop) July 18, 2016

Libraries too are tapping into the opportunity, with more coming through their doors as a result of the game.

Ian Anstice for Public Libraries News said there had been a "definite increase in visits to libraries”, as did Nilima Banerji, library and information advisor for Suffolk's Libraries, who said she had seen "significant interest” in the game with lots of youngsters visiting the library over the weekend in order to participate. Banerji only expects this to increase when the school holidays kick in.

Farrah Ashraf at Oldham Libraries told The Bookseller she hoped the craze would encourage new customers to sign up to use the libraries’ wifi and facilities, with some of their branches designated “Pokéstops”: interesting places, often with historical or cultural value, where gamers can collect items like Pokéballs and Pokémon eggs that help them in the game.

She said: “We are beginning to notice people (of all ages!) wandering around the library in an attempt to catch a Pokémon or two. We offer free Wi-Fi at all 12 of our libraries in Oldham. To access the free Wi-Fi all you need to do is become a member. We hope that this will attract new customers who wouldn’t necessarily have thought of joining the library or even visiting a library. We’re encouraging gamers to come in and use our free Wi-Fi services via our social media accounts. Some of our libraries are even Pokéstops so we’re the place to be if you‘re running low on Pokéballs! On the back of this, we’re promoting other services we offer at the library such as our live@thelibrary programme, summer holiday activities and the Summer Reading Challenge.”

Hull Libraries also publicised two of its branches, Bransholme & Ings Libraries, as Pokestops - "or as we prefer to call them Bookstops!" they said on Twitter.

Karen Gibbins, principal librarian for Swansea Libraries, also called the Pokemon craze “good news” for libraries and spoke about the possibility of setting up “lures” to further attract visitors, as well as stocking more books responding to the craze.

"Moving forward we are investigating setting up “Lures” at libraries which you have to buy [in the game] (currently one lure equals 100 coins)," Gibbins said. "We would have to look into how we go about this but it would be an interesting way of bringing back our Pokémon hunters. We will be watching how the game develops and grows and hope library venues remain a part of its growth."

CLIIP commented: “Many libraries have used gaming to bring people into the library - to create social, fun and learning experiences. The popularity of Pokemon Go is a brilliant opportunity that all types of library can use to attract new audiences. Library staff can quickly check if their building is a PokeStop by simply downloading the game. It’s then about thinking creatively how to welcome Pokemon Go players and encouraging them to stay and explore the library. As the game heavily relies on mobile data, players will appreciate the library’s free WiFi.”  

Penguin Books UK ‏has also been offering audiobook recommendations for gamers while they’re out and about.