The corona pandemic is hitting Gothenburg booksellers hard

On Kapellplatsen in Landala you will find the small bookstore of Ines Lohr. Day after day, the store’s door is wide open, not because it draws the mild spring winds through the square, but because customers and Ines Lohr want to do everything possible to limit the spread of the infection.

– Most people behave very well, but sometimes I get a little grumpy and tell customers to keep their distance, laughs Ines Lohr.

It has been a strange year for Ines and the three employees of the “Lohrs pocket and more” store, but not a financially fateful year. On the contrary, business has been able to move forward, albeit in slightly new directions.

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– We take orders through Facebook and pack backpacks that we can put outside the door, sometimes we have gone home to customers and delivered the books that way. It’s important to be flexible and try new ways, says Ines Lohr, who seems to suffer the most from the fact that the small independent bookstore’s popular author nights have been frozen since last spring.

– It has been incredibly fun celebrating our writers’ nights and it feels very empty without them. But it is no longer possible to meet that way. Hopefully we can start over when the crown is gone.

More than the conona pandemic that threatens bookstores

In 2020, there are more threats against the nation’s booksellers than perhaps ever before. Streaming TV services are more and more, young readers less and less. Amazon, Bokus and Adlibris are increasingly pushing book prices, while the death toll from the pandemic rises and the Swedish Public Health Agency urges more and more people to stay home.

Despite this, the Swedish Book Sellers Association and the Swedish Publishers Association were able to highlight figures earlier this fall showing that book sales appear to be doing better than in a long time.

“New Statistics Show Increase in Book Sales,” was the headline of their joint September press release. “Book sales will increase significantly in 2020 in terms of crowns and volume, compared to the same period last year,” is the angle applied.

Bookstores are losing sales

All of that is true. According to the report prepared during the first eight months of the year, book sales have increased by 7.4 percent in crowns and up to 20 percent in the number of copies sold.

But those who continue to read the report note that growth only occurs in digital channels. While e-commerce is doing well and streaming audiobooks and digital subscription services are advancing their positions, brick-and-mortar bookstores have completely bottomed out. Sales during the same period fell just over 17 percent.

READ MORE: Akademibokhandeln closes store in central Gothenburg

This week came news that Akademibokhandeln will close four stores in the country early next year, including its financially distressed children at the Kungsgatan / Östra Hamngatan intersection in Gothenburg. At the same time, the chain’s display store in Nordstan has performed significantly worse than the national average and lost much of its sales.

– Our stores in smaller cities are doing well, but in Nordstan we have lost a lot over several years, and it has really accelerated with the corona pandemic. Many no longer go out for lunch, instead working from home as entertainment shoppers leave to visit the city and the mall, says Maria Edsman, CEO of Akademibokhandeln.

Christmas shopping will be crucial

Earlier this year, a handful of bookstores collapsed and were forced to close across the country. Now the Christmas trade is waiting and it can be decisive, not to say directly fatal for the struggling booksellers of Gothenburg.

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– Just over 20 percent of bookstore sales take place in December and many stores rely entirely on Christmas shopping, which is by far the most important time of the year. We have a very serious situation and we are very concerned about where this will end, says Maria Hamrefors, president of the Swedish Book Sellers Association.

She points out that the country’s booksellers take responsibility and do what they can to reduce the spread of the infection, but at the same time emphasizes that several of them are now fighting for their existence.

– Many booksellers are at risk of dying. That is the bitter truth.

“An enormous tension”

Even if Lohr’s pocket and more are doing well, other booksellers are hanging on the line, and if the Christmas trade doesn’t work, several of them may be forced to throw in the towel in the future. So serious is the situation. Also, there is a constant concern about spreading the infection or getting sick.

– I am 64 years old and I would like to spend some more time. This is a huge variety for everyone and not fun for anyone, as Ines Lohr says.

How has your book fared financially in 2020?
– We have barely managed the economy. Not least, we were saved

from a total sale in April where our customers really ranked

and with great caution they came and bought us to get more

Discounts.


How important is Christmas shopping to you?

-Christmas shopping is always crucial for us. That means even a little

a loss of, say, 10 percent will be difficult to meet. With the hardest

restrictions, there is a great risk that the loss will be greater.

How many fewer customers has the store had compared to previous years?

– The influx of customers has decreased by almost 50 percent, but those who come buy more, so the loss of sales during the fall has been 25 percent so far.

Do you think your store will last in a year?

– If the pandemic clears in the spring and the owner is ready to receive discounts, there is a possibility that we will stay.

Said by: Per Bodemar, bookseller.

How have you managed Bokskåpet 2020 financially?

– Fortunately, it has continued, with some help from outside in terms of rent and taxes. But it is impossible to get away from the fact that there is great uncertainty in day-to-day life. You have really learned to take one day at a time, rethink, think of new things, find solutions.

How important is Christmas shopping to you?

– Christmas shopping is absolutely crucial to our business, the most important time of the year.

Do you think your store will last in a year?

– I hope and believe so. We have fantastic clients growing our business. But if we were to close for a while, we couldn’t.

Said by: Mia Juhlin, bookseller.

How have you faced 2020 financially?

– It went quite well, for which of course we are very grateful. We have a good location with many regular customers and people are interested in buying locally. Also, books and puzzles are perfect pastimes during the pandemic.

What adjustments have you made in the store due to the pandemic?

– We try to keep the front door as open as possible, we extend our opening hours on weekends to spread visits, we are careful with hand alcohol and that customers keep their distance. We have had to say yes on a few occasions, but most are well behaved. When the holiday shopping gets started in earnest, we will also have a guard at the door to keep an eye on you so that the store doesn’t get too crowded. It has also happened that we have opened before for some customers who have asked.

Said by: Åsa Sjöberg, bookseller.

How have you faced 2020 financially?

– The beginning of the year looked good, but when covid had a strong impact in March / April, we reduced our sales by more than 35 percent. Slowly but surely, sales increased during the summer and in October we were almost in phase with the previous year. Then came the new restrictions and now we have lost more sales than in April. Most likely, we won’t make a profit this year.


What adjustments have you made in the store?

– We have stopped with events, game nights, transfers and similar events that attract people to the store. We have closed our cafe and will keep it closed until we no longer believe it may pose a danger to our customers. We have also done everything possible to make the store more airy. On Friday, we open to our neighboring facilities where you can pick up the things you have reserved or ordered online and only one customer at a time will be able to enter.

How many fewer clients have you had this year compared to previous years?

– In April and now in November, we are well below half the usual number of customers. With the exception of January and February, there has been a clear decrease throughout the year.


How important will Christmas shopping be to SF Bokhandeln?

– Christmas shopping represents a large part of sales this year, if it drops by the same percentage as in November, it will be difficult. We are lucky to have saved money and we will make it, but it will make a big difference in future investments.

Said By: Jenny Engwall, Store Manager.

How important is Christmas shopping for Akademibokhandeln?

– Christmas shopping is always very important. About 20 percent of our sales are made in December and a large part of the profit is made then. When customers are advised not to buy their Christmas gifts in a store, it is very serious for us. A large part of our sales will disappear, and therefore a large part of the result unfortunately.

Do you think the Akademibokhandeln store in Nordstan will be around in a year?
– Yes, I’m assuming it. It is one of our five largest stores in the country. We just have to try to get through the winter. The corona pandemic cannot last long.

Said by: Maria Edsman, CEO of Akademibokhandeln.