Saraiva has its best quarter
Gazeta Mercantil - 11/23/2007
The Saraiva group is moving towards registering the best quarter ever in its history during the three last months of the year. "This is what the group expects", says the chief financial director and officer of relations with investors of the company, João Luis Ramos Hopp, pointing out that the company broke the sales records in 2005 and 2006, which may happen again in 2007. The record between the months of October and December is the result of this year's closing of the greatest deal with the federal government, for the supply of didactic books for elementary and high school education. It's a contract of R$ 99.5 million (US$ 57.2 million) that will be paid by the government during this fourth quarter which represent 18% more than that received from the government last year. The forecast for 2008 is to sell another R$ 99.5 million (US$ 57.2 million) in didactic books to the government. Editora Saraiva has a 15% share of the market of didactic books, in which it had gross sales of R$ 168 million (US$ 77.2 million) in 2006 - 13.4% of the total sales of the group. Leader of the market of law books, with 40% of market share, Saraiva is in the fourth place in the ranking of didactic books, behind Ática Scipione (R$ 344 million / US$ 158 million), FTD/Quinteto (R$ 280 million / US$ 128.6 million) and Moderna (R$ 168 million / US$ 77.2 million), according to data from the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL). The publishing market in the Country has sold R$ 2.1 billion (US$ 964.6 million) in 2006, from which 56% (R$ 1.176 billion / US$ 540.2 million) represent the segment of didactic books. The month of December is, historically, the most positive one for the Saraiva Bookstore. According to the group's CEO Marcílio D' Amico Pousada, sales grow, on the average, 80% in December compared to November. Saraiva is the leader of the book retail market, which sold R$ 2.9 billion (US$ 1.33 billion) in 2006. The company sold R$ 316 million (US$ 145.15 million) last year with its network of bookstores.