Bookstore Industry

CHAPTER II

INDUSTRY PROFILE

Description of the Present Situation of the Industry

Name of business: La belle Aurore Bookshop

Address: G/F Honey Haunt Pension House

Junquera Extension

Brgy. San Antonio, Cebu City

Size of the business: Sole Proprietorship

No. of years in the business: Two (2) months

No. of same business in the area: One (1)

La Belle Aurore Bookshop belongs to the bookselling industry. The said industry is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. It offers a wide range of book selections which includes just about every conceivable category including fiction, non-fiction, science, children’s hobbies, collecting and other types of books. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers or bookmen. It may be either part of a chain, local independent bookstores or even the used bookstore or second-hand bookshop.

The bookselling industry is changing rapidly, and the changes aren't all good for booksellers. The latter are dealing with a shift from print to digital media, which is leading to changes within the bookselling industry. Booksellers now offer many selections for the e-reader market. Some readers find that e-books provide convenience in the selection process and download book titles online. Other readers still prefer holding a book in hand and have moved their shopping to independent booksellers as the big box stores have closed their doors. Small business owners can adapt to changes and maintain a loyal customer base. The advent of online retailers and e-readers has caused the brick-and-mortar book industry to suffer, and selling actual books in a competitive marketplace saturated with e-readers is increasingly challenging.

In terms or sectors, consumer books still contributed the greatest share of the market; however a large decline in value has been evident. This is believed to be due to the change in consumer spending, while the growing popularity of...