It is a sad week in the German book trade. Weltbild, once one of Germany’s largest bookselling operations, is closing down on 31 August, and book trade paper BuchMarkt will close on 31 December after 59 years.
Founded in 2001, over the past 12 years, Weltbild (‘world view’) has been one of the major players in the German market with sales of €1.6bn, 6,400 employees and 300 branches in the high street and shopping centres, selling books and a wide array of non-books.
Despite book sales in Germany rising 2.8% to €9.7bn in 2023, according to figures released by the trade association Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers and Booksellers Association), the tough market conditions this year and a decline in footfall in city centres has proved too much for the remaining stores. Plail said: “Without fresh capital a permanent and sustainable continuation of the business is not possible.”
Weltbild’s 14 remaining physical shops and its online store will close, with some 440 employees being laid off.
Meanwhile, a decline in advertising and fewer subscribers has led to BuchMark’s decision to close. Sadly only two years ago, the magazine was sold to eBuch, a cooperative of more than 800 independent booksellers, to safeguard its future.