The Coalition for Cheaper Books today released a list of books authored by some of the principal speakers and participants at the Sydney Writers Festival which concluded May 24th. All of the books on the list are between 25- 40% cheaper online from the UK retailer, Book Depository.com than their cheapest Australian retail price.
The list demonstrates the ludicrous impact of parallel importation restrictions on the price of books in Australia says Don Grover, spokesperson for the Coalition of Cheaper Books.
“Many fine authors from Australia and overseas appeared at the SWF, their work covering a diverse, broad spectrum of subjects, characters and experiences,” says Mr Grover.
“However one thing that they have in common is that all of their books are cheaper to buy online from overseas, delivered to Australia, than buying them from Australian bookshops which employ thousands of Australian workers,” he says.
“You will get similar results from US and New Zealand online operators but it is often pointed out you have to pay freight costs for these orders. The prices stated in the list include delivery”, Mr Grover said.
The reason for the disparity is the unacceptably high wholesale prices in Australia which can be charged because of the restriction on parallel importation, says Mr Grover. .
The Book Depository’s retail prices are the same, sometimes better than the Australian wholesale price booksellers are charged by Australian publishers.
“Is it any wonder why Australian booklovers are turning to online sales to the detriment of Australian booksellers? It is a growing trend that will definitely have an impact on jobs in the book industry” says Mr Grover.
Book Price Comparision – Dymocks Australia and The Book Depository UK
Sydney Writer’s Festival Authors
(prices in AUD as at 26 May 2009)
–>
|
Book Title
|
Aust Book Shop
|
Book Depository
UK |
minus %
|
|
|
(less GST)
|
||||
|
D=Dymocks
|
||||
|
B=Booktopia
|
||||
|
A=Angus&Robertson
|
||||
| Last Seen in Lhasa
(Claire Scobie) Paperback |
D
|
$22.68
|
$14.68
|
35
|
| The Boat
(Lam Ne) Paperback |
B
|
$20.41
|
$14.68
|
28
|
| Wanting
(Richard Flanagan) Hardcover |
D
|
$20.41
|
$27.65
|
-35
|
| The Unknown Terrorist
(Richard Flanagan) Paperback |
A
|
$21.77
|
$14.68
|
33
|
| Death of a River Guide
(Richard Flanagan) Paperback |
D
|
$22.68
|
$14.68
|
35
|
| Gould’s Book of Fish
(Richard Flanagan) Paperback |
D
|
$22.68
|
$14.68
|
14.68
|
| The Sound of One Hand Clapping
(Richard Flanagan) Paperback |
A
|
$18.14
|
$14.68
|
19
|
| The Thing Around Your Neck
(Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche) Hardcover |
D
|
$40.91
|
$25.53
|
38
|
| The Thing Around Your Neck
(Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche) Paperback |
D
|
$29.99
|
$21.93
|
27
|
| Half of a Yellow Sun
(Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche) Paperback |
A
|
$22.68
|
$14.68
|
35
|
| Map of the Invisible World
(Tash Aw) Hardcover |
A
|
$38.14
|
$31.23
|
18
|
| The Harmony of Silk Factory
(Tash Aw) Paperback |
A
|
$18.14
|
$16.32
|
10
|
| A Case of Exploding Mangoes
(Mohammed Hanif) Paperback |
D
|
$22.68
|
$18.13
|
20
|
| Roads to Santiago
(Cees Nooteboom) Paperback |
D
|
$28.14
|
$18.36
|
35
|
| American Rust
(Philipp Meyer) Paperback |
A
|
$29.05
|
$18.73
|
36
|
| The Great Gatsby
(F Scott Fitzgerald) |
D
|
$9.95
|
$3.96
|
60
|
June 11th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Bestsellers are always going to be cheaper in a massive amrket (the UK) compared to a small market (Aus). Removing the restrictions will help the businesses that focus on selling front-line bestsellers and devistate the businesses (publsihers and sellers) that focus on smaller titles, childrens books (which typically take time to find a market), local specific non-fiction, genre titles and new authors. The coalliton want to change the rules to help their business at the expence of others and are only showing limited statistics that support their limited interests.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Why are you comparing Book Depository prices with the likes of Dymocks, Booktopia and A&R? Surely if you’re going to do a comparison like this then you have to use like for like stores, anything else is just plain deception! Why dont you tell us how the Book Depository prices comapre with BigW, Target and KMart prices? Because it doesn’t support your argument. Is this the coalition for Cheaper books or the Coalition for deception and Lies? What a disgrace!
July 5th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
In some cases like for like should also be whether Australians are getting paperback editions vs hardover. I find even comparing new book costs on eBay, Amazon and BetterWorld Books Australian book prices are vastly inflated. So I never buy books in Australia unless secondhand. Australians are being fooled into thinking that if we continue with our current protectionism, somehow Australian publishing and writing will collapse. Everyone knows this is far from the truth. What will happen is that the US and UK publishers who own many of so-called Australian imprints will continue to make the highest profits in the western world from Australian consumers will be forced to take lower margins from more competitive priced books. I hope the Productivity Commission doesn’t recommend a 12month “cooling off” period for new releases, it’s still protectionism.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Quote
Why are you comparing Book Depository prices with the likes of Dymocks, Booktopia and A&R? Surely if you’re going to do a comparison like this then you have to use like for like stores, anything else is just plain deception! Why dont you tell us how the Book Depository prices comapre with BigW, Target and KMart prices?
Unquote
Yes, I have done the comparison’s online sites are still cheaper than Big W, Target and Kmart prices – by at least $3-$5 a book on a regular basis. (Not always, but usually)
$3 a book doesn’t sound like much does it, but at $3 a book each week on pay day that’s $156 a year! That’s quiet a few ‘extra’ books that I can buy over the course of a year!