Fixed costs and cover prices are increasing. Inflation is hitting bookstores, and as a result, cover prices have gone up by an average of 9% in the last year, which hurts sales. At the same time, bookstores are losing money because their margins are being cut by the general rise in costs. For example, between delivery costs and energy bills, bookstores are paying 20% more. This is the conclusion of a survey conducted by SWG for SIL Confesercenti on over 300 independent bookstores distributed throughout the national territory, titled "Independent bookstores in an Inflationary Age." 18% of the interviewed booksellers have seen their sales increase over the past 12 months, while 41% have seen no change. 41% declared them decreasing. Forecasts for 2023, on the other hand, are conditioned by the increase in cover prices imposed by publishers: they are very positive for only 1% of respondents, positive for 13%, stable for 48%, negative for 32%, and very negative for 6%.
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