Bookstores increase sales until June
Valor Econômico - 07/10/2008
To deny a toy to a child is a difficult task to most adults, yet it is considered necessary due to economic or pedagogical reasons. But when the child asks for a book, many end up giving up in order to stimulating the reading habit. And the bookstores, which have been investing in the infantile public, have been having good results. In the first half of the year the main networks of the country register growth from 10% to almost 60% in sales, compared to last year's same period - the infantile-juvenile segment helped increase these sales. What is interesting is that this positive performance already takes place between January and June, a period that is usually weak in number of releases in the bookstores. At Livraria Cultura there was a 29% increase in sales in the first six months of the year, compared to last year's same period. The sale of books for children was even more expressive, growing 32%. The fiction and non-fiction books had increases of 23% and 18% in sales in the period, respectively. Livraria Cultura's income may end this year close to R$ 240 million (US$ 150 million), nearly R$ 50 million (US$ 31.3 million) more than the result obtained in 2007. Saraiva, which acquired Siciliano in March this year, ended the first quarter with net profits of R$ 9.7 million (US$ 6.1 million), which represents an increase of almost 60% compared to last year's first three months. Now, specifically regarding children's books, the increase was 50% in the period. With 185 franchises and one own store, Nobel is also excited with the kids' demand. While its average sales's growth was 10%, the sales of children's books increased 20% in the first half of the year. The goal of the network is to get to the end of the year with sales of R$ 140 million (US$ 87.5 million), 200 units in the country and nearly 25 abroad. Known for the variety of art books it features on its shelves, Livraria da Vila also bets on children. All its seven units have specific room for them. In fact, part of the Brazilian families already faces the visit to bookstores a leisure activity, especially in stores that have only-for-children room. With 5 thousand children books, the income of French Fnac in the first half of the year increased 20%.