No doubt however it is in a hypermarket

Auchan Bagnolet, two steps from the Parisian device, a regular Friday afternoon. In the middle of a forest of "scoops Auchan" understand promotion of 20 on boxes of canned goods, jeans or tubes of toothpaste in front of a rummage sale of furniture, RADIUS books appears as an oasis. Only a few signs green bottle closed with a simple "5 discount on all books" give the impression to the client that it can make a good case. No doubt, however, it is in a hypermarket. On the heads of gondola, at the entrance of the RADIUS where stand piles of "sudoku", are put in the news, "Place beauvau" books, "between the heart and reason", Valérie Domain, "the" Jean-Pierre Pernaut, but naturally also the last BHL. Meanwhile, a wall of blankets to the garish colors. Crichton, Dan Brown, Stephen King jump in the eyes of the barge, eclipsing almost some midnight ("Ravel", of Jean Echenoz), or Gallimard white Collection (Le Clézio, Tahar Ben Jelloun). A father here, an old lady, a few young women, each browsing as it sees fit. But we are not in a bookstore. Not a vendor on the horizon.

And yet, today, a book on five about is purchased by a customer of large food area. Within a decade, sales, value, jumped in the stores of 38.7 while overall demand grew by 22.9, according to cabinet Precepta, author of a study on "new strategies in the distribution of the book". Some signs have, it is true, made an effort to animate the market: Michel - Edouard Leclerc, co-Chair of the eponymous group, who dispute the FNAC first bookseller of France title, says that in five years the share of the surface reserved in its cultural centres increased from 1, 5-2, 5-3-3, 5, half minimum of devoted to the book. Motivated by this market, he also went up to launch a specialty channel, cultural spaces, however equipped with a fully independent trade policy (read below).

Literary awards and Festival

Auchan, Carrefour, Cora or other giant, whose vocation is to "sell everything under one roof", cultural product appears as an element essential to their offer, rewarding and attractive. The book in particular. From the impact of the canvas on prices and deflation hitting the consumer products, publishing resists to much better in large areas that customers remain convinced most that is buying their books, they pay cheaper elsewhere, then the maximum discount is not as around only 5.

At the time, for signs, "bookstore" space appears as an island preserved large tariff brawls, margin compression factor. With an average sale price of EUR 10.40, the book provides a margin rate gross between 30 and 35. One of the highest of all rays, that of turning hypermarkets usually around 25. Deducted once costs of handling, storage and return, net profitability of the paper is of course very less. But it is always better than pasta sold at cost!

Most often located at the entrance of the store, RADIUS books must attract the consumer, its still empty... Tactical question: parents can leave their children who, rather than to embarrass them while they do their shopping, avidly read and BD and especially in will in the shopping cart. In passing, they will be perhaps tempted them also by a Pocket, a book of kitchen or the latest novel touted television. To attract the attention of the public, events are created regularly. Festival of the detective novel in Auchan, price of the first novel in Carrefour. The distribution is a partner of the Edition.

The book market is expanding

Impulse buying, pole of attraction of a customer, intimidated too, would have perhaps never crossed the door of a bookshop, hyper and supermarkets don't necessarily bite on the traditional trade. "The breakdown of sales remains very far from the downtown library," concedes Olivier the Hostis, Delegate General of the Union of French bookshop (SLF). According to the GfK Institute, one-third of sales in large surfaces food is provided by children's books, a quarter by of general literature, 13 by the comic strip. Come then, practical books and the after school. In contrast, little tests, nor human science or philosophy. Little books, except during the holidays of Christmas. The bible of the leaders of the books of the hypers rays is the ranking of the best sales of "The Express". "In all areas, signs prefer which is sold in self-service and is likely to turn quickly", said Olivier the Hostis. To offer attractive prices, some of them have even subcontracted to publishers the manufacture of exclusive collections, especially in the area of the practice. But before the threat of outcry of booksellers, this phenomenon remained marginal for the moment.

Amplification of the success

If large surfaces cannot claim the status of unearthing talent "they are rather followers", commented Alain Flammarion, Director of the dissemination and distribution of the edition of the same name group, on the other hand, they IFWU willingly on the editorial success and amplify them. A Bernard Fixot would likely never reached millionaires broadcasts for Christian Jacq novels without the exposure that he offered hypermarkets! And the large distribution maintains the such authors Marc Lévy. It can also be key for some genera such as the sentimental novel or fantasy. "Carrefour stores represented up to 40 of sales of"Arthur", the book of Luc Besson, just after its release", is thus Valérie Varin, responsible for the book group. Most emblematic of the weight of this distribution system, a collection of four pocket book is sells today.

Anxious to preserve the network of libraries, publishers do but not specific to mass merchandisers gift. Commercial conditions that are granted to them remain confidential but observers agree that in general the FNAC and, especially, the largest independent bookstores get more benefits. As for other products, such and such book referencing is with central purchasing. But again, not negotiating on the volumes. They are the representatives of the large houses which offer offices. In other words, the broadcasters, who, in General, represent several publishers and therefore very large catalogs, recommend titles and volumes to take. At the Galec, Central of Leclerc, "is negotiating agreements with broadcasters while developing recommendations"merchandising"for stores", explains Marie-José Cegarra, responsible for the development of cultural spaces. "To be both control the office and whether play this card", she added. In Carrefour, "Central defines a national purchasing for the output of the new policy, says Valérie Varin.". "Then, shops resumed their hand for the réassorts". The explosion of the number of titles published makes it more difficult daily management of a RADIUS in a Leclerc of intermediate size, for example, has between 8,000 and 12,000 references. A comparison with the 10,000 references proposed by a library of approximately 80 square metres. But the 25,000 to 90,000 in a cultural space.

Large volumes and big returns

Requires power of large signs, the quantities requested publishers can reach very large volumes. A minor risk for hypers, thanks to the feedback system, are that support the stocks for three to six months. However, it can leave the financial health of small houses, which often prefer to stay away from the danger that represent large prints with many unsold. "These sales networks don't work as you to accept very high returns." "But the consideration they may be thousands of copies sold more on authors such as Toni Morrison or Jim Harrison," explains Christian Bourgois, boss of the eponymous editions.

Because, today, more is undisputed that the superstores have expanded the book market by making an offer on the outskirts of the cities, where the libraries are absent.

They exhausted their potential for growth In 2005, in any case, the hypermarkets have seen book sales decline by 3, according to GfK, when their sales all combined products grew by 0.7, indicates ACNielsen. The market of the Edition, he declined by 1. Worse, according to the Institute of marketing studies, it is in the heart of sales the best sellers that they gave the land. "Food Merchandiser market share eroding particularly in best sales: 134 references which realize 10 of turnover, they lose 4.6 points", adds Odile Ropert, analyst of GfK. Edition "the market share of large food surfaces will really evolve." "These are the channels that will explode," he predicted Michel-Edouard Leclerc. For the bookstore of the hypers rays, the age of maturity arrived may already have.