Number of bookshops in Germany declines by nearly a quarter

As of 2023, there were just over 2,980 bookshops operating in Germany, a decline of nearly 24% over a five year period, new data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) to coincide with the Frankfurt Book Fair has found.

In 2018, there were 3,930 such businesses operating in Germany.

According to Destatis, among the reasons for the decline in bookshops over the period are rising rents and personnel costs, and well as changing purchasing behaviour, with increased numbers of consumers now purchasing books online.

Employment in the sector

As a result, employment in the book retail sector has also seen a notable decline over the same period. In 2018, approximately 28,000 people worked in bookshops, while by 2023 that number had fallen by 19% to 22,620.

Notably, despite fewer bookshops operating, and staff numbers declining, sales in the book retail sector increased. Total sales in 2023 reached just under €4 billion, up from around €3.6 billion in 2018, growth of around 9%.

Apprentices in book retail

The number of new apprenticeships in book retail has shown only a slight variation in recent years – last year, just under 490 new apprentices began training as booksellers, a small decrease from around 500 in 2023.

This is actually an increase on ten years earlier, when approximately 470 new contracts for apprenticeships as booksellers were signed.

Women continue to represent the majority of new apprentices in Germany’s book trade, with 87% of new apprenticeship contracts held by women as of 2024, the highest level recorded in the past ten years.

According to Destatis, the data collected on apprentices refers specifically to vocational training in bookselling and does not include other related occupations in the retail sector, such as e-commerce clerks or retail sales clerks. Read more here.

Read more: Germany’s HDE warns against increasing residential density in city centres