Wal-Mart Versus Major Bookstore Chains: 'Book Expo America' 2010 Intelligence

[Are_grits_groceries]

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Simba Information analyst Michael Norris shared some publishing intelligence his company gathered in a flash survey of 140 Kindle owners. Norris also offered a promising statistic: The percentage of U.S. adults who bought at least one print book in 2008 was 56 percent. In 2009, that percentage rose to 58 percent.

Towards the end of the presentation, Norris produced a slide comparing the rise and fall of major locations where people buy books in the United States. According to his chart, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-a-Million had a combined 2,342 locations around the country in 2002. By 2009, that number had plunged to 1,740.

Nevertheless, giant retailers like Wal-Mart have thrived since 2002, selling books in thousands of new locations. In 2002, Wal-Mart had 2,713 locations. In 2009, the megastore had a whopping 3,503 locations around the country.

He asks: What do you think--what does this mean for booksellers and the future of readership?

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/walmart_versus_major_bookstore_chains_bea_2010_intelligence_162687.asp?c=rss

Walmart carries a select group of books. If bookstores continue to dwindle, the access to a much broader variety will be severely limited in some ways. The internet does provide alternatives with huge variety. However, the 'bricks and mortar' businesses are still a valuable resource.