Evolution of the sales volume index of books in France 2020-2022

The sales of books, both in stores and online, have significantly dropped since the beginning of lockdown measures on March 17, 2020. The whole market registered a decrease of 57.1 percent from week 11 to week 12 of 2020, and that trend has continued during the following week. If sales sharply increased at the end of 2020, January 2021 recorded losses almost as high as March 2020.

Still going strong

This turnaround is not representative of the French publishing market, which managed to remain stable despite some fluctuations. Although slightly down, book sales have registered a slight upturn in recent years and have reached almost 418 million units sold in 2018. The market is doing well, both in terms of supply and demand, as French readers enjoy a wide range of choices on the shelves of their favorite bookshops. The number of available titles has particularly exploded over the last decade and reached a new peak in 2019.

Change of habit

The lockdown measures that came into force on March 17 have drastically changed the consumption habits of the French, most of whom are spending much more time at home and watching television. While physical sales of books are down, audio content such as audio books or podcasts are more popular than ever. The video game industry is also experiencing a new craze as digital sales are reaching new heights during this period.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in France, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.