The book industry is in good health in Quebec.
Sales remain higher than pre-pandemic levels for a third year in a row, according to the Observatoire de la culture et des communications of the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
In its bulletin “Book sales in 2021, 2022 and 2023”, published Thursday, it reports that sales in bookstores have been relatively stable for three years, but that their value in 2023 is the highest in the last 10 years, at 457.9 million, an increase of 0.3% compared to 2022.
Distributor sales also reached their highest level of the decade, at 29 million, despite a slim annual increase of 1.4% compared to strong increases in 2021 (54%) and 2022 (28%).
On the publisher side, sales increased for a third year in a row, to 118.4 million, a high since 2018 and an increase of 3.2% compared to the previous year.
Overall, book sales in the province totaled $677.3 million in 2023, almost as much as in 2022 ($678.4 million).
In contrast, fewer books were sold in big box stores. Sales were at their lowest level since 2019, at 72 million.
Specifically, those in discount superstores, such as Costco and Walmart, fell by 9.7% and those in other points of sale, such as department stores, boutiques and newsstands, decreased by 6.7%.
This statistic pleases the Association des libraires du Québec (ALQ), which brings together more than 130 independent bookstores.
“The increase is not following the same pace in big box stores, which leads us to believe that our members are benefiting the most from this increase in sales. This is excellent news! It’s exciting for us and for our members,” said the ALQ’s interim executive director, Gabrielle Simard, in an interview.
She believes that the figures show that the efforts of all players in the book industry have borne fruit.
“We have a very creative and dynamic book chain. The figures that have come out bear witness to this and reflect it well,” said Mr.me Simard.
According to her, “the pandemic has given people a taste for reading again because they didn’t have many other options, and by rediscovering reading, they realized that there is really some very good literature being produced in Quebec.”
Moreover, this data comes at just the right time, just four days before the “August 12, I’m buying a Quebec book” initiative, created in 2014.
“Records are being broken year after year, especially since the pandemic,” Mr.me Simard: We hope that people will still come this year.”
In addition, the number of copies sold for digital books fell by 6.2%. This is the third year in a row that a decline has been observed.