Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

Supply chain snags hit books

Nov 10, 2021
Shipping delays, reduced printing capacity and a paper shortage plague publishers and retailers as holiday shopping gets underway.
Publishers are likely to prioritize large book retailers like Barnes & Noble, above, for distribution rather than smaller, indie stores.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

British readers boost home libraries to up videoconferencing game

Feb 10, 2021
The rise in video calls has made people reach for the phone and inquire about investing in bigger, bolder personal libraries.
"Now we get about five to 10 queries every single week from people who are really faced with the prospect of having to turn their home environment into their office environment," said Nick Bates, CEO of Bookbarn International.
iStock/Getty Images

Why do books have prices printed on them?

Jan 21, 2021
A centuries-old practice dating back to the Industrial Revolution has created complications for modern-day booksellers.
jovan_epn via Getty Images

Book sales are up, but is that helping independent sellers?

Dec 30, 2020
Book sales are up almost 8% this year. Mega online stores benefited the most, but some small players are pivoting in hopes of getting ahead.
James Fugate, co-owner of Eso Won Books in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, speaks with a customer on Nov. 24.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images