BOOK RETAILERS
PURPOSE
To provide economic statistics about book retailers in Australia.
DESCRIPTION
The scope of the Book Retailers Survey is all employing businesses in the Newspaper, book and stationery retailing industry (ANZSIC 5243), and businesses with 200 or more employees in the Supermarket and grocery store industry (ANZSIC 5110), Department stores (ANZSIC 5210), and Retailing n.e.c. (ANZSIC 5259). In all, these businesses cover an estimated 97% of book sales to final consumers. All businesses with an ANZSIC class of 5110, 5210 or 5259 and with 200 or more employees, and all businesses with an ANZSIC class of 5243 and with 20 or more employees, were contacted to determine their retail book sales. Data were obtained from a sample of businesses with an ANZSIC class of 5243 and less than 20 employees, and were weighted to represent all such businesses in Australia. Data for the entire operation of businesses with an ANZSIC class of 5243 and with book sales comprising at least 50% of all their retail sales were included in the survey results. For all other businesses, only data in respect of their book retailing activity were included. The reference period for the survey is the financial year ending immediately prior to despatch of the survey forms.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Annual
DATA ITEMS
Type of book retailer
Businesses covered by the survey were classified as:
Bookshops
Other booksellers
Type of other bookseller
Other booksellers were classified as:
Newsagents
Department stores
Supermarkets
Retailing n.e.c.
Income of bookshops
The items which make up the income of bookshops are:
Retail sales of new books
Retail sales of second-hand books
Retail sales of other goods
Wholesale sales of goods
Income from services
Funding from the Educational Textbook Subsidy Scheme
Other Government funding
Royalties income
Other income
Income of other booksellers
The items which make up the income of other booksellers are:
Retail sales of new books
Retail sales of second-hand books
Retail sales of other goods
Funding from the Educational Textbook Subsidy Scheme
Other income
Expenses of bookshops
The items which make up the expenses of bookshops include:
Wages and salaries including provisions for employee entitlements
Other labour costs
Purchases of new books
Purchases of second-hand books
Purchases of other finished goods for resale
Other purchases
Advertising expenses
Rent, leasing and hiring expenses
Depreciation and amortisation
Freight and cartage expenses
Interest expenses
Telecommunication services
Other expenses
Expenses of other booksellers
The items which make up the expenses of bookshops are:
Purchases of new books
Purchases of second-hand books
Other operating expenses
Employment of bookshops
The survey classifies the employment of bookshops into a number of categories. These are each in turn classified by sex. The categories are:
Working proprietors and working partners of unincorporated businesses
Full-time permanent employees
Part-time permanent employees
Casual employees
Number of books sold
The items which make up the number of books sold by book retailing businesses are:
The number of new books sold
The number of second-hand books sold
Number of new books purchased
Indicates the number of new books purchased by book retailers.
Format of new book
The forms in which new books are sold or purchased are classified as:
Print
Electronic
Audio
Suppliers of new books
The costs of purchases of new books are classified by the location of the supplier:
Australian suppliers
Overseas suppliers
Number of businesses
The number of Australian businesses involved in book retailing and in scope of the survey.
Retail locations of bookshops
Records the number and floorspace of retail locations of bookshop businesses.
Profit or loss of bookshops
Refers to the operating profit or loss before tax and extraordinary items.
Capital expenditure by bookshops
Records capital expenditure by whether it was for computing equipment and software, or other assets.
Disposal of assets by bookshops
Records the proceeds from the sale of assets.
Value of inventories of bookshops
Records the value of inventories held by a business at both the beginning and the end of the reference period.
Use of technology by book retailing businesses
Records the number of businesses using each of the following forms of technology:
A computer for stock control
The Internet for selling goods and services
The Internet for purchasing goods and services
The Internet for general uses
No use of the Internet
Having a web site, home page or other web presence (including a presence on another entity's web site)
Other technologies
Use of the Internet for selling goods and services
Records the number of businesses using the Internet for selling goods and services in each of the following ways:
Receiving orders for goods and services
Sending invoices to customers
Receiving payments and/or authorisations
Delivering products electronically
Providing after sales service
Use of the Internet for purchasing goods and services
Records the number of businesses using the Internet for purchasing goods and services in each of the following ways:
Researching the availability or cost of goods or services
Ordering goods or services
Receiving invoices
Making payments and/or authorisations
Receiving products electronically
Seeking after sales service
General uses of the Internet
Records the number of businesses using the Internet for each of the following general purposes:
Email
Bibliographic and other information searches
Advertising or promotion
Banking and financial services
Other uses
Use of other technologies
Records the number of businesses using each of the following technologies:
Barcoding and scanning systems
EFTPOS
Electronic article surveillance or security tags
Geographic Area
Data are mainly available for Australia. State and territory aggregates for employment, wages and salaries, total income, number of retail locations and floorspace are available for bookshops.
HISTORICAL DATA
The survey in respect of 2000-01 was the first in a series of annual Book Retailers Surveys which finished with the survey in respect of 2003-04. It is not know when, or if, this survey will be conducted again.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Book Retailers, Australia, Cat. no. 1371.0, ABS, Canberra. Price $22.00. Available annually for the years 2000-01 to 2003-04.
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Manager
National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2272
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Telephone: Adelaide 08 8237 7326
Facsimile: Adelaide 08 8237 7366
Email: nccrs@abs.gov.au
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