Cheap books vs real value: why price isn’t the whole story for Australian readers
By Peninsula Records & Books You might have seen this recent article suggesting we should stop wasting money in bookstores and buy our books from Kmart or Big W because they’re always cheaper. It even called bookstores “on the way out”, which feels a bit rich when it ends with a disclosure about a paid partnership with Kmart. Yes, price is real. Some books are cheaper. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is $16 at Big W, and the RRP printed on the back is $32.99. It’s a solid deal, no argument there. But the broader “bookstores are doomed” claim doesn’t hold up. The real numbers Nielsen BookScan data show that in 2024 Australian print sales totalled about $1.29 billion, down 3 percent in value and 1 percent in volume compared with 2023. Hardly a collapse. Bookshops are still opening. QBD and Dymocks both expanded last year, and QBD says over 90 percent of its sales happen in store. People still want the experience of walking into a bookshop. They’re just more selective about whe...