The universal language of a gripping novel
Consumer demand for physical books remains high throughout the digital age, with the feeling of opening the first page of a new novel never getting old. The senses add to the overall experience, and despite the increase in technology, physical books remain king.
Stora Enso (a renewable materials company) commissioned a survey in 2022 involving 2,400 book readers from the US, Germany, France, and the UK. The study found that physical books still come up trumps with 65% of those surveyed stating that they prefer them to e-books or audiobooks.
These figures clearly show that whilst the pandemic provided a boost to books sales, the market remains strong in a post-pandemic world.
A particularly interesting takeaway from the survey is that the impact books have on the environment and carbon neutrality were important factors for readers. Many even stated that they would pay up to 5.7% more for carbon neutral books.
Loved and Pre-loved books
It’s not just new books that have seen an increase in demand, second-hand books have also experienced a boom. Whilst there hasn’t been an identified correlation, this may be linked to consumers making more eco-conscious decisions when it comes to purchasing books, in addition to the cost savings second hand books provide.
Distributing pre-loved books and re-homing them internationally is a speciality of ours. Consumers expect to pay less for a pre-owned book and therefore we are aware of the need to also minimise delivery costs.
To ensure that we facilitate access to books globally, we offer solutions that reduce both the cost and logistical requirements of international delivery. Through consolidating parcels from all our clients, we ensure that all books are distributed effectively and efficiently. By sending fewer but full pallets, we also reduce our carbon footprint, minimising the number of journeys made to destinations.
Why should you distribute internationally?
The biggest sales drivers for books include big-name authors and books based on politics, current events, television and film. With many of these drivers being universal, there is a huge market to reach globally. The survey by Stora Enso also highlighted that individuals enjoy reading now more than ever before, with the hobby being spurred on during lockdowns. 70% of respondents stated that they continue to read more post-pandemic, highlighting that this trend isn’t set to decline.
In addition, markets internationally are experiencing increases. This is particularly the case in Germany and the US which currently sit in our top 5 book destinations.
Top 5 book distribution destinations
- USA
- Hong Kong
- Germany
- Japan
- Spain
- France
Gripping destinations for 2022:
According to PWC, the Asia-pacific and Latin America regions are set to experience the greatest growth outside of the regions listed above. This poses an exciting opportunity to venture into markets you may not currently operate in.
Benefit from our expert knowledge:
As market leaders in international book delivery, with almost half our clients operating in the book and publishing industry, we know your pain points. We take care of cross-border barriers that eCommerce sellers often encounter when dispatching their book orders independently.
By utilising MHIs operations, you can benefit from:
- Complete visibility for yourselves and your customers through our online tracking portal
- A bespoke blend of services based on the destination, order value, and weight of items delivered.
- An excellent line of communication between the client and MHI.
- Access to over 100 carriers worldwide
International delivery has no limits with Nexae:
Our bespoke Platform, Nexae, allows online book sellers of any size to ship internationally with the perfect blend of reliability and simplicity. There are no set capacity requirements, eliminating any barriers to accessing our services. This simple process also reduces the number of touchpoints required when customers make a purchase, reducing the number of abandoned shopping carts when it comes to delivery options.
The online platform provides:
-A simple process to uploading data
-Generation of shipping labels that include customs declaration information
-Access to over 100+ carriers
-Complete visibility through order tracking on the platform
-Production of commercial invoices
Not quite Hooked?
As leading providers of cross border delivery services for online book and media sellers, get in touch today to begin your next chapter at contactus@mhi.co.
