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BA warns of 'harsher winds to come' for bookshops despite positive Christmas trading
The Booksellers Association (BA) has warned of "harsher winds to come" for UK bookshops, after recorded footfall in 2024 was down 2.2% year-on-year. This warning comes despite a positive year end for bookshops which saw trading on the up during the Christmas period.
The BA has called on the government to "ensure that their proposed reforms are implemented in a way that eases the burden for all who need it on the high street", and to ensure the protection of "vulnerable bookshops".
According to a report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), fewer consumers visited shops for their Christmas purchases, with total UK footfall for the five weeks to 28th December also down 2.2%. This marked an improvement since November, when there was a 4.5% decline, but that was also related with the timing of Black Friday, which was included in the December figure this year and in November in 2023.
High-street footfall had also fallen by 2.7% in December, compared to 2023, having increased from minus 3.7% in November. For the three months leading up to December, footfall was down 2.5% compared to 2023.
Meryl Halls, the managing director of the BA, said: "While anecdotally the Christmas gifting period started slowly but ended positively for many of our bookseller members, the continued footfall decline on our high streets is a potential harbinger of harsher winds to come for British bookshops – who already face a myriad of challenges in 2025 from increased costs of goods, services and labour and the reduction of retail rates discounts to the rise in national insurance contributions.
"Therefore, the Booksellers Association strongly supports the British Retail Consortiums’ urging of the government to ensure that their proposed reforms are implemented in a way that eases the burden for all who need it on the high street, and with assurances that no vulnerable bookshops will be placed in jeopardy."
