Book sales in La Rioja also feel the impact of the economic crisis
A survey by the main bookstores in the Capital city shows a drop of over 55%, while at the national level, an average drop of 40% was reported in the last edition of the Buenos Aires Book Fair. That is to say, In the city of La Rioja the decrease was greater than the country average.
In that sense, a key element is the increase in prices. A year ago a literary novelty could be obtained at prices ranging from $7,000 to $15,000 and today they range between $25,000 and $30,000 per book.
On the other hand, the months of March and April have already passed, which in this area are when a greater number of sales are observed due to orders from school institutions to students, which results in greater purchases.
Another element that marks the economic crisis is the type of book that is currently sought. The booksellers point out: “Self-help books are still widely purchased, but now purchases are very much aimed at financial education, many gurus have come out who write about habit changes and how I improve my money management.”
A point that has been on the market for some time is the lower availability of units. “The editions today are around 3,000 units, when before they were 5,000 or 10,000, so in places like La Rioja between one or five books arrive, generating a certain unsatisfied demand for the new releases,” they added.
The Argentine Book Chamber itself has been indicating a decrease in the number of new items, in 2023 there were 35,000 new items, which are values that existed before the pandemic and today that figure is not replicated, especially due to the increase in the price of paper, transportation and therefore the printing.
This note is based on a survey carried out by www.economiariojana.com.ar with Rioja bookstores and the time period analyzed is January/June 2024.
With information from Economía Riojana
