Bookstore sales grow from 10% to 20% in 2009
Valor Econômico
Regardless of the low reading rate among Brazilians, the economic crisis and even the H1N1 (Swine Flu), the bookshops ended 2009 with a growth in sales that ranged from 10% to 20% when compared to 2008. "This is an excellent performance if you consider that the performance of last year's GDP will be practically zero", said Vitor Tavares, President of the National Association of Bookstores (ANL). The entity disclosed an average growth of 9.73% for the sector yesterday.
The performance, however, was somewhat below what was expected in early 2009. The projection of the ANL was an increase of 11.8%, which did not come true mainly due to the crisis. Among the bookstores surveyed by Valor, some informed they went through the economic crisis unharmed and others grew less than what was initially expected.
Livraria Cultura, with 10 stores, had foreseen ending the year with a 30% growth. Nonetheless, the performance of Cultura was one of the best ones in the sector, with a growth of nearly 20% in earnings. As for Livrarias Curitiba, the largest book retailer in the South of the country, the enemy was not the economic crises but the H1N1. Between July and September, the sales fell nearly 20%. "The shopping malls were completely empty. Here in the South, the flu was very strong because of the cold weather and the proximity with Argentina", said Marcos Pedri, Commercial Officer of Livrarias Curitiba. With 17 stores, the Paraná chain ended the year with a growth of 12%. "Hadn't it been for the flu, we'd have a historical year. We have recovered now at the end of the year", complemented Pedri.
The São Paulo bookstore Livraria da Vila, with four units, grew 10%. As for Rio de Janeiro's Travessa, the sales in comparable stores registered an increase of 20%. With eight units, the earnings of Travessa increased 35% in 2009, also driven by opening of two new stores last year. With 196 stores in operation, Nobel got to December with an increase of 12% in earnings and 15% in the number of stores. "We felt a strong increase in the sales of children's books, something nearly 25%", said Sergio Benclowicz, Director of Nobel.
Children's books were the books that pushed the sales of those of bookstores last year, according to a survey of the ANL. What catches our attention in this survey made by the entity is the poor performance of the self-help publications. In a ranking with eight positions of the literary segments that grew the most, in number of copies in 2009, the self-help books, which had been the sector's stars for many years, had to endure the sixth place. "I think people got tired of the formula. When they read the third book, they realize it is always the same thing", said Benclowicz.