Costco to stop selling books year-round: report
What specific months will Costco continue to regularly stock books, according to the new policy?
According to the new policy, Costco will regularly stock books during the holiday season, which is from September through December. Outside of these months, they may still sell books on occasion, but not in a consistent manner.
How do the logistics of displaying books at Costco differ from other products, contributing to this decision?
The logistics of displaying books at Costco differ from other products due to the additional labor required to stock them. Books at Costco are placed on tables for display, unlike other items that can simply be rolled out on pallets for customers to grab from. This means that workers need to manually handle and arrange the books, which adds extra time and cost to the process. In contrast, many other products at Costco can be easily stocked using pallets, making them more efficient to handle logistically. The decision to stop selling books regularly is, at least in part, due to these added costs and the labor-intensive nature of managing book displays.
What potential impact could Costco's decision have on publishers, particularly in terms of order volume?
Costco's decision to stop selling books regularly throughout the year, except during the holiday season, could have a significant impact on publishers. The wholesaler is known for placing bulk orders for books, sometimes amounting to hundreds of thousands of copies of a single title. With this change, publishers might see a substantial decrease in their order volume from Costco.
This reduction in orders could lead to lower sales and revenue for publishers, as well as potentially affecting the visibility and exposure of their books to Costco's customer base. Additionally, authors may also feel the impact of this decision, as selling books through Costco has historically been a significant source of income and exposure.
In summary, Costco's decision to limit book sales to the holiday season may result in decreased order volumes for publishers, potentially leading to lower sales, revenue, and exposure for both publishers and authors.