Bookworms help Galaxus clinch record year
Behind the scenes

Bookworms help Galaxus clinch record year

Stephan Kurmann
9.1.2024
Translation: Katherine Martin

Never before has Galaxus sold as many books as it did in 2023. While children’s books proved to be the most popular category, we recorded our highest sales growth in the non-fiction section.

According to the latest Pisa study (article in German), 1 in 4 young people in Switzerland has difficulty reading.

With this in mind, it’s hardly surprising that book sales in Switzerland are on the decline. According to the Swiss Association of Booksellers and Publishers (SBVV), 2023 was a less encouraging year for book retailers in German-speaking Switzerland. Annual sales in both brick-and-mortar and online bookstores were down on the previous year. On top of this, inflation also put a squeeze on margins. The SBVV hasn’t yet published the December figures.

Kids’ books proved most popular

Despite this, more books were ordered from Galaxus in 2023 than ever before. After topping the sales charts during the pandemic, children’s books are continuing their streak as top sellers. Meanwhile, how-to books were the second most likely item to end up in Galaxus customers’ mailboxes. Novels and short stories (fiction), on the other hand, took third place in the sales rankings.

Non-fiction book sales almost doubled

Galaxus recorded the highest sales growth in the non-fiction book category. In 2023, 59% more non-fiction books ended up in customers’ shopping carts than in the previous year. These three titles came out on top in December.

Power - The 48 Laws of Power (German, Robert Greene, 2013)
Non-fiction
EUR22,–

Power - The 48 Laws of Power

German, Robert Greene, 2013

The book you wish your parents had read... (German, Philippa Perry, Jorge del Corral, 2021)
Reference books
EUR14,99

The book you wish your parents had read...

German, Philippa Perry, Jorge del Corral, 2021

Breath - Atem (German, James Nestor, 2021)
Non-fiction
EUR24,–

Breath - Atem

German, James Nestor, 2021

November was a bumper book month

Book sales at Galaxus go through seasonal fluctuations. The desire to read seems to be at its lowest in spring, with the fewest book orders placed in April 2023. November was the best-performing month of the year in terms of book sales, with Galaxus customers ordering almost four times as many titles as during the April low.

Are you one of our Community’s bookworms? Do you have a favourite book that you can recommend? How many books did you read in 2023? Or do you prefer podcasts or Netflix? Join the discussion in the comments.

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Studies claim that we have a shorter attention span than goldfish. Ouch! My job is to get your attention as often and for as long as possible. How? With content you enjoy. Outside of the office, you’ll find me on the tennis court, curled up with a book, Netflixing or travelling. 


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