Shoppers keen to support bookshops despite cost of living, BA survey shows

Three-quarters of bookshop customers intend to sustain their spending on books over the next 12 months, despite the cost of living, a new report published by the Booksellers Association and Nielsen has found.

The report, Counting the costs: how the cost crisis is affecting bookshops, saw 1,000 bookshop customers polled in September, collecting data on how the cost of living crisis is expected to impact spending habits in bookshops over the next 12 months. It has been published just ahead of Bookshop Day (8th October).

Two-thirds of customers believe books are either good (45%) or excellent (20%) value for money. Reasons given for this included that books provide hours of entertainment and escapism, make great gifts and are beneficial to mental health, among others. Eighty per cent of bookshop customers say they are likely to support their local bookshop if the cost of living stays high, although some will seek offers, and 30% might buy fewer books overall.

Nearly half of those polled said they would consider switching spend from other leisure activities, including holidays and entertainment to allow them to buy more books.

Meanwhile, 95% of respondents reported that pre-school, picture books, children’s and YA books are either excellent, good or reasonable value for money. Looking ahead to Christmas, 88% of gift buyers for adults and 90% of gift buyers for children expect to buy the same or more books in the run up to the holidays and over the next 12 months.

Among 18 to 44-year-olds, 43% enjoy the break that books allow from screens, and 51% treasure books as beautiful objects to keep.

However, the report indicates that young customers, those with children, and people most impacted by the cost of living crisis expect to reduce their spending on books, with up to 30% expecting to buy fewer next year.

Meryl Halls, m.d. of the BA, said: “Bookshops in the UK are currently under a huge amount of pressure due to the cost of living/cost of doing business crisis, and while this report shines a light on the ways in which many customers will sadly need to reduce their spend on books over the coming months, it is encouraging to see that a significant majority intend to continue supporting their local bookshop.

“Books offer excellent value for money. During the 2008 financial crisis, and during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, book sales increased across numerous genres. We very much hope that this will be the case in the challenging coming months, and that customers will choose bookshops for making their purchases.”

BA members will be able to watch a presentation of the report by Steve Bohme of Nielsen BookData, on 13th October, at 2pm, in lieu of the presentation that would have taken place at the BA Conference on 19th September.