In Australia, the Dymocks bookstore on Collins St. in the Central Business District in Melbourne has been forced to hire security guards "after employees were attacked by customers refusing to follow Victoria's Covid-19 rules, with one worker being pushed down an escalator," the Age reported. The store's owners said the move would cost hundreds of dollars a day, but safety of staff was paramount. The incidents are being investigated by police.
"We, as small business owners never thought that making our staff do this Covid marshaling checking would result in this kind of violence," co-owner Melissa Traverso said, adding that just hours before one employee was assaulted, another staff member had been slapped by a woman who refused to give her personal details. The Age noted that "later on Friday, a third worker was tackled by an angry customer who did not provide a valid proof of vaccination, but managed to steady himself and avoid falling down the escalator."
"We don't want our staff to be unsafe, but how is this the responsibility of small business owners that have already suffered enough?" Traverso noted. "We are booksellers, we are not security guards. Why are we made to be bouncers?"
The increase in violent incidents prompted Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra to write an open letter to Premier Daniel Andrews last week expressing concern over the situation and asking for an end to the vaccine mandates.
Australian Booksellers Association CEO Robbie Egan wrote in the latest newsletter: "Protests from a very small but increasingly angry segment of our population have led to violence against retail workers. This is a completely unacceptable corollary of vaccine certificates and mandates, and I believe that high level of vaccination in Australia make these mandates less necessary. A specific incident at an ABA member store in Melbourne, where a staff member was knocked unconscious, has made this problem all the more acute. We cannot continue to be the Covid-19 police."
In more positive news, Egan noted that member stores are "reporting good sales, and generally good cheer from consumers. We are in the thick of it now." He added that he has "agreed to another three-year contract, and despite the difficulties of the first three years, I have enjoyed the task of rebuilding the ABA and look forward to consolidating on the work we have done to date. Take care everyone. Happy bookselling!"
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The Italian Publishers Association has predicted trade publishing sales will be up between 12.6% and 16.3% at the close of 2021. The Bookseller reported that during the period from January 4 to November 11 2021, retail price sales came to just under €1.4 million (about $1.6 million), up by 22% compared to 2020 and by 15% to 2019. This accounted for 92 million books, in terms of sales volume, with a 25% jump from 2020 and 17% from 2019.
According to information aggregated by the AIE, online bookshops were at the same levels as 2020 (43.5%). Physical bookshops have held 51.5% of the market this year, and major retail chains 5%. The growth in the market in 2021 is credited to major increases in sales for online bookshops, rising from €329 million (about $373 million) sales in 2019 to the €506 (about $573 million) of 2020, to then reach the €590 million (about $668 million) this year; as well as the recovery of physical bookshops.
In 2019, physical bookshops accounted for €711 million (about $805 million) sales, which dropped to €601 million (about $680 million) in 2020, during the pandemic. This has now risen in 2021 to €698 million (about $790 million) sales, while major retail chains sales have fallen to €68 million (about $77 million).
The data was presented in an online preview of Più libri più liberi, the national fair for small and medium publishers organized by the the association, taking place at La Nuvola in Rome December 4-8.
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"Keeping it simple," New Zealand bookseller Muirs Bookshop in Gisborne posted on Facebook, sharing a photo of its latest chalkboard message: "Red Light rules for Muir's Bookshop: 1. Wear a mask. 2. No certificates required. 3. One meter distance. 4. Buy books for Christmas." --Robert Gray