Market trends at 30 September 2021

In the first nine months, the books market grew by 25.3% versus 2020 and by approximately 21% versus 2019 – a year unaffected by the pandemic and free of the COVID-related distortions when comparing results – so strengthening and consolidating the positive trend experienced in the second half of the previous year.

The Media relevant market performed as follows in 2021:

  • the advertising market posted a strong increase of 19.3% versus the same period of 2020, which had felt the brunt of the pandemic, and basically returned to the sales levels of 2019; the trends of the individual segments were as follows: digital +24.0%, TV +23.9%, newspapers +6.0%, radio +12.5% and magazines +4.2%;
  • the magazines circulation market declined by 9%;
  • the add-on sales market reported a negative 4% (-9.4% for add-ons bundled with magazines, -1.5% for those with newspapers).

Market's evolution

9M211H211Q21FY209M201H201Q20FY199M191H191Q19FY189M181H18
 Trade books+25.3%+36.8%+39.6%+3.3%-3.8%-10.1%-9.6%+5.5%+4.6%+4.0%+0.8%-1.1%-0.4%-0.1%
Media
  • Circulation**
-6.9%-6.9%-7.6%-11.8%-12.0%-11.3%-8.8%-12.4%-12.3%-12.3%-13.5%-8.6%-9.0%-9.1%
  • Advertising

Print

+4.2%+3.9%-32.2%+36.6%-40.3%-41.5%-12.2%-13.9%-15,2%-15.4%-13.1%-8.2%-8.9%-8.6%

Web

+24.0%+29.3%+6.4%+0.8%-7.1%-17.2%+4.8%+3.5%+2.1%+2.0%+3.0%+4.5%+4.0%+2.1%
  • Add-ons
-4.4%-5.7%-9.6%+17.5%-0.6%-3.7%-2.1%-11.9%-7.9%-6.9%-5.6%-18.2%-10.8%-16.4%

* As of May 2019, GfK expanded its coverage panel by increasing the survey of e-commerce operators; as a result, the overall market value and the relative yoy differences were re-profiled and the details by channel were revised by merging book chains and e-commerce.

* *Starting from 1H 2016, the % variations refer to the whole circulation market trends (newstands + subscriptions)

Sources
Trade book: GFK (value)
Magazine: circulation, internal estimate (value) – advertising, Nielsen (value)