Books selling in Onasbrück. Image – Getty: Frantic00
Publishers AssociationBy Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
The Association Offers 200th-Anniversary Discounts
A sobering bit of news from the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, Germany’s publishers and booksellers association, is included in today’s edition of the Börsenblatt, the association’s magazine.
By the end of 2024, the announcement tells us, the Börsenverein had 128 fewer members than in 2023. Of those companies lost, 21 reportedly were closed in bankruptcy. That is said to be the highest number of bankruptcies since 2012.
There is positive news here, in that new membership rose in 2024 following a decrease in new members in 2023. In 2024, 141 new members were recorded, topping the new-membership number of 127 in 2023. The 2022 level of new members was 147. As it happened, however, the 2024 attrition number was 269 companies.
‘Ongoing Pressures of High Costs’
The Börsenverein’s member-services chief is Susann Krittian-Danzer, and she’s quoted in today’s (February 20) account at the Börsenblatt, talking about factors behind the figures.
“The economic burden on bookshops and publishers is not abating,” Krittian-Danzer says.
Susanne Krittian-Danzer
“A weakening consumer climate and ongoing pressures of high costs are causing problems for small and independent companies, in particular. It’s encouraging to see an increase in successful changes of ownership in the past year, which has again secured more successors in the book trade. However, the search for successors remains a problem for many bookshops.
“In view of these key challenges for our industry,” Krittian-Danzer says, “we as an association are continuing to do everything in our power to create urgently needed economic and legal framework conditions and support our members, among other things, through advice, networking. and events on economic topics, the search for successors or increasing footfall.”
The Börsenblatt account goes on to bring forward several more insights into the association’s numbers.
There are 120 former members, for example, that cite business closure as their reason for leaving the program. In an interesting note, age “continues to be the most common reason for book-trade exits, coming to 28 departures.
There also were 12 more changes of ownership in 2024 than in 2023, the statistics reveal, and a total 32 such ownership changes were completed in 2024—30 0f them involving bookstores and two publishers. Mergers were down to six from 2023’s 13, but at the same time, “branch” store openings were up from 21 to 25 in 2024.
And overall, at the start of this year, the Börsenverein had 3,720 members.
The 200th Anniversary Offer
As it happens, the Börsenverein is reaching its 200th anniversary, prompting the organization to offer a 20-percent discount to new members until December of this year.
Several perks come along with the discounted price for new members, including a 20-percent discount on a first advertisement in the Börsenblatt.
Those interested can learn about the two-century anniversary offer available to new members, and details of membership are described here for bookstores and here for publishers. An application form is here.
It’s also worth pointing out that the general level of attrition being given attention here is around 3.4 percent and it’s varying from year to year. While the loss of any members is never welcome–and closures of bookstores and publishing companies is certainly not what’s wanted—any market’s business levels do fluctuate.
The 3.4-percent range is hardly a rout, and the Börsenverein’s 2025 offer to new members, tied to its achievement of a two-century track record might well nourish the association with new participation and energy.
More from Publishing Perspectives on the Börsenverein and its work is here, more on industry statistics is here, and more on the German book publishing industry is here.