Bookstores are under pressure due to the introduction of free high school textbooks.
In the past 40 years, Finland has lost nearly 300 bookstores. Additionally, three brick-and-mortar bookstores have closed since last year.
According to , urbanization and evolving consumer habits are impacting all specialty retailers, including bookstores. Laura Carlson of the Finnish Booksellers Association.
But other forces are also at work. Finland’s decision to extend compulsory education until age 18 in 2021 means municipalities will have to start providing textbooks to high school students. This led to the closure of small bookstores that sold, among other things, educational materials.
Currently, schools and trade schools buy books directly from major distributors.
“Textbooks may have accounted for 25 to 30 percent of annual sales in some locations,” Carlson explained.
This change also had a ripple effect. Previously, when families went out to buy textbooks, they not only bought other books, but also pencils, erasers, and notebooks.
Booksellers are currently voicing concerns over the government’s plans to increase value added tax (VAT) on books from 10% to 14%.
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