Moving pieces: Industry initiatives you don’t want to miss - CIBA Canadian Independent Booksellers Association
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
0 likes•131 views
Join industry colleagues for an essential speed round of notable projects, initiatives, success stories, and experiments that originated over the past year. Catch up, stay informed, and learn what’s next. Doug Minett discusses CIBA Canadian Independent Booksellers Association. Link to video presentation: https://youtu.be/ZeyvmAid4Pg Presented March 31, 2021 by BookNet Canada with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
More from BookNet Canada
More from BookNet Canada (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Moving pieces: Industry initiatives you don’t want to miss - CIBA Canadian Independent Booksellers Association
- 1. TECH FORUM PRESENTATION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021
- 2. • Proposal to Government of Canada • CIBA, LIQ, and ALQ • BNC, Bookmanager, ACP, ADELF, and ANEL • Potentialgamechangerfor indies Canadian Cultural Policy & Local Economies: Book Rate for IndependentCanadian Booksellers
- 3. Role of Indies • Expertise & discovery • Champions of Canadian writers and publishers • Promoters of writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, and LGBTQ2S+ • Important part of publishing supply chain Vital pillars of Canadian culture
- 4. The Problem(s) • People want books! • Shop Local movement • Online sales boom COVID-19 • Shipping costs represent up to 50% of retail value • Customers expect free shipping • Unsustainable COST OF ECOMMERCE • Economies of scale • Efforts to adapt not enough to level the playing field STRUCTURAL ISSUES
- 5. • Canada Post Book Rate • Legacy arrangement • CULC to administer • Aligns withconsumerpreferences The Solution Book ships for <$2 vs. currentrate of >$8
- 6. Benefits • Easy to implement • Immense value • Positive ripple effects on trade • Sustainable business practices • Diverse bookselling landscape • Greener • Levels theplayingfield
- 7. Status • Department of Finance Canada • Canadian Heritage & Small Business • Letters of support • Budget presentation onApril 19 Email info@cibabooks.ca for a letter of support to your local MP!
- 8. Q&A
Editor's Notes
- Thank you for joining us today Please ensure your microphone is muted until the Q&A period Personal intro – long-time bookseller (The Bookshelf) and Executive Director of CIBA CIBA background Began operations in fall 2020 Mandate provide programs and services and promote policies that strengthen indie bookselling community “By indies for indies” approach
- Today’s Topic Proposal to the Government of Canada for postage subsidies for Canadian independent booksellers In progress since the fall Pilot project Budget of $5 million Submitted with Les librairies indépendantes du Québec and L’Association des libraires du Québec On behalf of English and French booksellers across Canada Data from Les libraries, BookNet Canada, and Bookmanager Letters of support from Association of Canada Publishers, l’Association des distributeurs exclusifs de livres en langue française, and l’Association nationale des éditeurs de livres
- Role of Indie Booksellers Integral part of Canadian culture – experts, conduits of discovery ExpertChampion Canadian writers across career stages including those who have been historically underrepresented BookNet Canada sale data shows that indies sell Canadian titles at approximately twice the rate as the rest of the market Provide wider market for independent presses Support job creation at every level of the supply chain
- The Problem(s) COVID-19 drastically changed how readers buy books Pre-pandemic ecommerce represented less than 5% of sales; now >25% People leaning on books for comfort, learning, and entertainment Shop Local movement – should be a boon for indies! Cost of ecommerce is a problem Shipping costs can represent up to 50% of retail value Wholesale cost of books between 55-60% of cover price Not to mention operational costs (staff, packaging, etc.) Absorbing shipping = losing money Customers expect free shipping (thanks to Amazon) CEFRIO study showed that approx. 50% of online shoppers abandon their carts when delivery is not free Competing with Giants Efforts to adapt (e.g., personal deliveries) but can’t keep Major retailers have access to economies of scale Favourable wholesale margins Proprietary delivery channels (e.g., Uber approach) Advantageous shipping rates with traditional channels For indie booksellers, current model is both unavoidable and unsustainable. Enter: postage subsidies.
- The Solution Canada Post book rate Legacy arrangement previously extended to all book postage Now reserved for libraries (patron mailing/inter-branch transfers) Single book can be shipped for less than $2 (currently costs more than $8) Existing infrastructure Canadian Urban Libraries Council currently oversee admin of program Willing to extend admin to indies Aligns with Canadian consumer preference to shop local + stay home
- Benefits of our Proposed Solution Immediate: Easy and fast to implement Fraction of cost relative to other government programs but major impact for small businesses Positive effects to supply chain Publishers (especially independents) Distributors Customers get what they want Long-term: Room to explore sustainable ecommerce practices Pilot project = opportunity to measure impact (for future policy) Canada Post is better for the environment Will help sustain a diverse bookselling landscape Most importantly: it would rebalance the parameters of trade and allow indies to compete with major retailers like Amazon
- Where We Are Now Submission made to the Department of Finance Canada Copies sent to senior staff at Canadian Heritage and Small Business Letters of support sent to local MPs Members informed and mobilized Follow up taking place now Budget presented on April 19 We would love more support. We have a template later to your MP ready for anyone who would like to help. Email info@cibabooks.ca for more info.
- Now I will open the floor to questions from attendees
- Thank you to Tech Forum for having me today For more information about CIBA and membership, visit cibabooks.ca