Digital books were supposed to kill physical books, but that never actually happened. 

That never actually happened because consumers rejected the idea of reading on devices. Many do it, but a significant audience still buys actual books. 

Astudy from Stora Enso backs that up.

“The study, rolled out during March 2022, showed 65% of respondents wanting physical books, versus 21% who preferred e-books and 14% audiobooks,” the company shared. 

“These results confirmed our expectations that the market for physical books is set to stay strong, which is good news for our printer and publishing customers,” said Stora Enso Vice President Jonathan Bakewell.

Physical book sales numbers

• 2024 U.S. Sales: Print book sales totaled 782.7 million units, marking a slight increase from 2023.
• Revenue Share: Print books accounted for 76% of total book sales revenue in the U.S. PufferPrint

Source:  Publishers Weekly

Digital book sales numbers

• 2024 U.S. Revenue: E-book sales generated $861.9 million, a 2.9% increase from the previous year.
• Market Share: E-books represented around 20% of total book sales revenue in the U.S.
• Global Reach: The global e-book market is expected to generate $14.9 billion in 2025, with the U.S. leading at $5.4 billion.

Source: PufferPrint

Barnes & Noble has made a massive comeback. 

Image source: Pixabay

Book stores have survived (and thrived)

After years of closing stores, Barnes & Noble plans to open 60 locations in 2025. 

“The bookseller is experiencing strong sales in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after more than 15 years of declining store numbers. In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019. The bookseller expects to open over 60 new bookstores in 2025,” the company shared in a press release.

Barnes & Noble credits readers for its rebound.

“Readers want to explore and discover unexpected delights within brick-and-mortar bookshops,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “That we are able to open so many new Barnes & Noble bookstores across the country — including this, our southernmost so far — is a testament to that. Our Miami booksellers are eager to welcome the community into their brand-new Colonial Palms Barnes & Noble.”

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The bookstores changes have been saluted by Cushman & Wakefield President Barrie Scardina.

“Barnes & Noble has really focused on revitalizing the physical experience, changing the atmosphere and bringing back that idea of community and how books enrich our lives,” she told ICSC.com. “The environment is comforting but also stimulating. There is something about it that makes you want to turn to the person next to you and say: ‘Hey, have you read this?'”

Half Price Books closing locations

Half Price Books has been a well-positioned player in the books market because it’s a value play for consumers and books have always been something people are comfortable buying used.

The chain, which was founded in 1972, shares its simple philosophy on its website. 

Our founders coined the phrase, ‘We buy and sell everything ever printed or recorded (except yesterday’s newspaper),’ and as the shelves grew, so did store locations, leading Half Price Books (HPB) to become America’s largest family-owned retailer for new and used books with a bustling website and more than 100 brick-and-mortar stores nationwide.

That’s a model that seems well setup for the current economy, but Half Price Books has been closing stores. It originally had shared plans to close locations in Texas, but that has spread to California stores as well.

Half Price Books Store Closures in 2025

• Downtown Berkeley, CA: The store at 2390 Shattuck Avenue, operating for 20 years, is set to close on November 30, 2025, due to an unresolved lease agreement.
• Cedar Hill, TX: The Cedar Hill location at 711 N. Highway 67 closed on September 29, 2024, after 20 years of operation.
• Mesquite, TX: The Mesquite store closed in May 2024 after 30 years, attributed to declining foot traffic and the closure of a nearby bookstore.
• Houston, TX: Several stores in Houston have closed, primarily due to rising rents and lease negotiations falling through.
• Austin, TX: Multiple locations in Austin have closed, following a trend of closures in North Texas.
• San Antonio, TX: Several stores in San Antonio have closed,.
• Bay Area, CA: While the downtown Berkeley store is closing, three other Bay Area locations in Concord, Dublin, and Fremont remain open

Sources: Chron, SFGATE

The company shared a comment on closing its Berkley, CA store in an email to Berkeleyside.

“We have many great customers in that area for whom the Berkeley location is their closest store, We wish we could stay but we have been unable to come to a lease agreement with our landlord,.” wrote Half Price Books’ Public Relations Manager Emily Bruce.  

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