Danger on the literary school year, threatened by the fragility of independent bookstores – L’Express

Like every year on the eve of summer, fever seizes the literary environment. For example, The first copies of the novels of the start of the school year circulate in the alleys of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Furthermore, The first lists of goncourables are murmur in an impatient word of mouth: Emmanuel Carrère. Therefore, Nathacha Appanah, Sorj Chalandon, who has the best chances? For example, Publisters. Nevertheless, authors, press attachés, representatives storm the TGV and intercités to convince small booksellers and large networks that they have in their catalog “The” nugget of the start of the school year, the future success that no one is waiting for. Meanwhile, Yet this year. In addition, behind the excitement, there is a new concern around the bad pass that a number of bookstores are going through. However, Isn’t that a threat to the start of danger literary school year, threatened the literary school? In addition, And, beyond, for the whole book chain?

In recent months, alerts have multiplied. Similarly, On social networks, independent bookstores, often small, sound the alarm. Moreover, In Sartrouville. Nevertheless, the bookstore of people who read published in the spring a message that she wanted not guilty but explicit: “We have multiplied events, so customers think that we are a hit. However, for two years, it’s difficult, we wanted to tell them. Nevertheless, And they come back, support us …” says Dolly Choueiri, the owner. In addition, Here and there, larger, often old bookstores, vacillate. Meanwhile, At the beginning of the year. For example, one of the great independent of Le Mans, Doucet, had to request its placement in receivership to set up its cash flow before being taken up by the Gibert group. Similarly, And it is not the only “historic prefecture bookstore” danger literary school year, threatened to be observed closely by publishers.

The gloomy situation has had an accelerating effect. However, “At the very beginning of the year. Similarly, the market was really tense,” confirms Guillaume Husson, general delegate of the French bookstore union. Furthermore, It accuses an average drop of 1 % in the first months of 2025. Moreover, Nothing alarming: if the sales of the start of the school year are good. they will allow to compensate for the delay. But small bookstores. those located in small cities suffer more, with a 5 % drop in sales compared to a year 2024 already in decline. Almost impossible to catch up. The underlying treasures end up turning scarlet red, forcing bookstores to save drastic savings after the post-Cavid euphoria.

Danger danger literary school year, threatened literary school year, threatened

At the heart of concerns, the “implementation”

Confronted since 2022 with load increases (rent, energy, etc.) that they cannot control. bookstore managers are forced to play on factors that have a direct effect on the entire sector. Some dedicate square meters formerly devoted to books to products (toys, stationery, etc.) up to six or seven times more profitable. At the start of the school year, they are also very cautious about the commands they place. And try to find a subtle balance between constituting a sufficient offer for their customers without immobilizing too much. cash with stocks. For publishers, this data is crucial. In a return to school which will count between 500. 550 innovations in August and September, the “implementation”, to use the jargon of the profession, is decisive for the future of novels other than the 15 to 20 predictable danger literary school year, threatened bestsellers.

To have a chance to hang the reader’s gaze. benefit from a favorable word of mouth, a book must be present in large networks like Fnac or Cultura, but also in the first independent bookstores. And in at least three copies. better still in five or ten, to form a “battery on the table” that the customer will see. If too many booksellers order a single copy of a novel. it will go directly to the shelf and will have almost no chance of emerging, it will be one of those stillborn texts which disappear after three weeks or a month of the shelves and, even more quickly, spirits.

Foreign literature was the first victim of these reduced implementation; From now on, they danger literary school year, threatened also concern the French novel. And in particular. the first books or those of the authors that are not very installed or the publishing houses which only make creation literature. 70 % of these books of less than a year are sold in independent bookstores for an average of. 30 to 40 % in other categories. Additionally, “The bookstores create sound by speaking of a book. the big networks amplify it,” are used to saying professionals in the sector.

Danger literary school year. threatened

The lowest margins of local stores

However, booksellers also have more and more difficulty playing their role as a prescriber. Because, in an attempt to maintain their margins – the lowest of local shops (1.1 %, only florists are less well) -, they are forced to save on the payroll. From three booksellers, they go to two; Departures are not replaced, alternations do danger literary school year, threatened not turn into a lasting contract. And time is lacking to read the news, to organize meetings, to share with customers. “Their fragility can decrease access to the book. Readers then turn to other actors. digital in particular, or other cultural leisure,” confirms Louis Wiart, specialist in cultural industries at the University of Brussels, co -author with Philippe ChantepieBook economy (Discovery).

In this tension still amplified by a news that is hardly conducive to entertainment reading. by customer changes, relationships are sometimes rough between publishers/diffusers and bookstores. Among the first. some see in the weaknesses of points of sale a simple regulation effect after the wave of new independent bookstores (more than 600) post-Cavid. Too small. created by non-professional in insufficient catchment areas, it seems natural to them that some of them do danger literary school year, threatened not pass the course of the four years of existence. The booksellers in difficulty regret, indifferent to their fate of a certain number of important actors. Acceptance of postponement of deadlines but blocked accounts for new orders for broadcasters. losses of public supporters on the grounds that the offer offered to customers is no longer various enough when they make returns to reduce their stocks, discounts (part retroceded to booksellers on the sale price of a book, from 35 to 40 %) less interesting for the smallest bookstores, the misunderstandings accumulate.

At the beginning of the year. some booksellers led a “offices” strike, that is to say the automatic reception each week of new products, to alert overproduction. Limited, the movement has nevertheless had the effect of an electroshoco in the sector. Crusted with the barometer of the National Center for the Book Rendered Public in April danger literary school year, threatened which attests to a chronic decrease in the practice of reading. he draws a dark table for the coming years, of which the whole chain of the book will suffer. “The drop in reading concerns all segments. but in particular the 50-64 year olds who have a bookish culture and a certain level of income. It is a bit of betrayal of clerics because they are not replaced. ” worries Jean-Marc Levent, commercial director of Grasset editions. A fundamental movement, which goes beyond the only situation but which is still not very noticeable. For the moment. the closures strict sense of bookstores are few because the owners prefer to pay little (or not) before arriving at this end. But until when will they hold out?