Costco will continue to sell books year-round at some of its stores, despite suggestions mid-year that sales would be limited to the September to December period.
From January 2025 around 500 of Costco’s more than 600 US stores will no longer stock books from January to December, according to Publishers Weekly.
In a ray of sunshine for the publishing industry, Costco will continue year-round sales of books at the other 100 stores.
“Costco, along with other mass merchandisers such has Walmart and Target, has become an important bricks-and-mortar outlet for print books,” Publishers Weekly says.
“Not only do they have the capability of selling tens-of thousands copies of a title, but they serve as important places for consumers to discover new titles not typically sold in other stores and which can be difficult to find online.”
Costco Australia. Photo: ADCO.
According to the site “publishing executives see 2025 as an important year for the future of books at Costco. If sales remain strong and a more user-friendly model is created, Costco could return full-year book sections to more stores. If sales decline, however, book sections across the chain could all move to the holiday season model”.
ChannelNews has sought comment from Costco Australia on what impact, if any, it will have on the Australian operation.
There are 16 Costco outlets in Australia.
Costco operates in 15 countries including Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, the UK and Canada.
According to its website its annual turnover is around US$64 billion (A$98 billion).
Stocking books in Costco is labour intensive as it generally has to be done by hand, unlike other products that can be dropped in place by forklift.
