Shelf Awareness
Recent trends in Australian bookselling are mirroring trends in the U.S., as outlined in the Financial Review: "Bricks-and-mortar book shops that sell printed books are enjoying a resurgence in Australia just a few years after the rapidly expanding digital book sector threatened their very existence." And the children's/YA category is particularly strong.
Four independents have opened this year (comparable on a per capita basis to about 50 here), two of which are children's bookstores, including Where the Wild Things Are Bookshop, Brisbane, a branch of Avid Reader. Owner Fiona Stager, former president of the Australian Booksellers Association, told the Financial Review that when Avid Reader decided to open a branch, at first it thought of focusing on travel or cooking: "When I looked at the sales data, I knew it had to be children and young adults," she continued. "We were crammed and still selling lots of children's books, so we decided to take the risk at setting up a dedicated store."At Dymocks, which has 65 stores in Australia, most of which are franchised, children's book sales rose 14% last year, and YA titles were up 43%. Managing director Steve Cox said that some YA series like the Hunger Games and Divergent have sold well again after being made into films: "Many books that are hugely popular get onto screen and, bam, book sales go again."
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