At a location of the Livraria Leitura bookstore chain, Brazil. Image: Livraria Leitura
By Talita Facchini | @talitafacchinii
‘We Need To Highlight the Physical Bookstore’
This month, the Brazilian publishing market received the results of the second edition of the Panorama do Consumo de Livros (Book Consumption Overview), a study aimed at mapping the book-buying habits of Brazilian consumers.
Conducted by Nielsen BookScan and the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL), the research helps market players make decisions and positions Brazil among more mature markets.
With no significant changes over to its first edition, the second iteration of this study—based on 16,000 interviews across conducted among respondents across Brazil—once again has reported that 84 percent of the Brazilians surveyed said that they did not purchase a single book in the past 12 months.
Among book-buyers, who are estimated to make up 16 percent of the population, 55 percent of them asked say that they prefer to shop online, while 39 percent opt for physical bookstores. Women account for a reported 62 percent of consumers who purchased more than 10 books in the last year.
Additionally, most buyers say they perceive textbooks and professional development books as expensive, while entertainment, leisure, and children’s and young-adult titles are generally considered neither expensive nor cheap.
But beyond these findings, some key insights stand out: nearly half of book buyers surveyed (49 percent) stated that they’d purchase books in physical stores if prices were equivalent to those found online.
“This is closely tied to the experience that physical bookstores provide,” says Mariana Bueno, the BookScan economist who was the lead researcher on the study. She says that “Holding a book in your hands, browsing the selection, leaving the store with a book, and avoiding shipping costs” is “convenient.”
Looking at the ‘Cortez Law’
At the Rio Book Biennial 2019. Image: Bienal do Livro Rio
The finding about online and physical-retail pricing opens the debate on the “Cortez Law,” which regulates cover prices and discount policies during the first year of a book’s commercial editorial release. The law has been under debate in Brazil since 2015 and only has advanced more significantly in the government in October 2024.
Modeled after France’s “Lang Law,” which has regulated book pricing for more than 40 years, the Cortez Law—also referred to as the “common price law”—is intended to enhance diversity in the book marketplace and create a fairer competitive landscape for bookstores.
Sevani Matos
“We need to highlight the added value of physical bookstores,” says, as the president of the Brazilian Book Chamber. “This study strongly supports our efforts in advocating for the Cortez Law.”
On the other hand, the familiar main drivers behind online book purchases remain price discounts, convenience, ease of finding desired titles, price-comparison tools, and the ability to shop from home.
The Price Debate in Brazil
The cost of books is a widely debated issue in Brazil, with many consumers saying they see books as expensive. In the Book Consumption Overview, price remains the biggest deterrent among non-buyers—35.5 percent say books are too costly—followed by a lack of nearby bookstores (26.2 percent of respondents) and a lack of time for reading or shopping (24.2 percent).
However, deeper analysis suggests that price is not necessarily a barrier to purchasing books, just as it’s not a deterrent for other cultural experiences, such as going to the movies, concerts, or football matches.
“When we break down the price concern by social class,” says Nielsen’s Bueno, “we see that most respondents who cite price as an issue belong to higher-income groups, which is an interesting factor to consider.
“Our interpretation is that price isn’t what actually prevents people from buying books. It’s almost an automatic response. When we compare books to other cultural goods, price does not emerge as the decisive factor.”
Among non-readers, 61 percent surveyed say they consider reading very important. When asked about barriers to book purchasing, 26.2 percent of respondents cite a lack of nearby bookstores
“There’s clear demand,” Bueno says. “This is a potential market, and I believe the industry has an opportunity to analyze these numbers and develop strategies to expand readership beyond the current 16 percent.”
Key Players and Market Trends
Shopping at the leading Brazilian bookstore chain. Image: Gabi Soutto Mayor
The survey also provides important indicators about the performance of some market players.
Amazon remains the clear leader, with 61.7 percent of respondents saying they went to Amazon to buy their last print book.
Other retail players, such as Mercado Livre and Shopee have been gaining traction.
Among physical bookstores, Livraria Leitura stands out. The chain, which expanded into spaces left vacant by Saraiva’s bankruptcy in 2023, now operates more than 100 stores across Brazil. It’s the top choice of 34.9 percent of survey respondents who say they bought books in physical stores.
Independent bookstores, which have been making a resurgence in the country, have come in second, at 23.4 percent.
Regarding book subscription clubs, 81 percent of respondents say they’re not subscribers. Among those who say they are, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited is the most popular (27 percent), followed by Skeelo (13 percent) and Leiturinha (10.6 percent), the latter a subscription service focused on children’s books.
“This study,” the book chamber’s Matos says, “provides a clear roadmap of where the market is headed and offers publishers valuable insights into potential strategies for growth.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on industry statistics is here, more on the Brazilian market is here, and more on bookselling is here.