The BA is pleased to announce the publication of a new report, Bookselling Britain: economic contributions to – and impacts on – the economy of the UK’s bookselling sector.  The full report is available here.  BA Members will be sent two copies of the report next week, week commencing 6th November.

Leading economics consultancy, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), has unveiled that bookshops can be linked to an estimated £1.9bn contribution to the UK economy annually, and support 46,000 jobs, as part of a first of its kind report evaluating the economic contribution of British bookshops.

The report – Bookselling Britain: the economic contributions to - and impacts on - the economy of the UK’s bookselling sector – was discussed at the Booksellers Association Annual Conference in Birmingham in September.

Direct Impacts

• £540 million in GVA (gross value added) contribution to GDP
• £416 million in wages, salaries and other staff costs
• 24,400 bookselling jobs
• Pay £131 million in tax (including £12m in corporation tax, equating to 91p per £100 of turnover, which is eleven times what Amazon pays (8p per £100 of turnover)

Aggregate Footprint of bookselling throughout the supply chain

• £3.8bn in turnover
• £1.9bn in GVA contribution to GDP 
• £1.2 billion in staff pay
• 46,000 jobs (including the 24,400 bookselling jobs)
• For every 10 jobs in bookselling, a further 9 jobs are supported in publishing and the wider supply chain

The report stresses numerous factors that currently threaten the existence and continued success of bookshops in the UK, including Amazon’s market power, Amazon’s ability to undercut RRPs, business rates, corporate tax, and rising overheads.