Italian book retailers face closures amid margin pressures

The Italian book retail sector is facing significant challenges, with the Sindacato Italiano Librai (SIL) reporting a decline of nearly 8,000 bookstores and stationery shops between 2019 and 2025. This represents a 23.8% decrease in outlets over six years. SIL President Antonio Terzi defended retailers against accusations of driving up book prices, stating that publishers have actually compressed retailer margins from approximately 25% to between 13% and 15% to keep textbook price increases to around 2% annually.

In a separate development within the industry, the bookstore chain Libraccio has announced a temporary shop in Milan’s Navigli district. Running from September 10 to November 14, the pop-up will focus exclusively on the Adelphi publishing catalog, offering both new and used titles. The initiative includes a series of cultural events, such as book clubs and presentations featuring various authors and cultural experts.