Golden summer for books

bookNew Zealand booksellers, long in the doldrums regarding sales, continue to enjoy a golden summer with first period of the New Year sales figures 14.6 per cent up in value from the same period last year, according to Nielsen data.

Booksellers NZ CEO, Lincoln Gould, said the latest figures confirm a major turnaround for brick and mortar bookstores, “which many commentators had written off in the face of the e-book onslaught”.

“This time last year we were looking at a diving graph showing sales down 11.8 per cent − now we have a very encouraging turnaround,” Gould said.

“The overall figures for book sales in 2014 were the highest in value terms for the last six years and with the start we have had, 2015 could well see records tumbling.”

“Obviously the improving economy will be a major factor in this increase of sales, but the trend also confirms that the love kiwis have for printed books has not been lost.”

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