Mondadori Retail, the Mondadori Group company that manages the largest network of bookshops in Italy, embraces continuous development, combining growth of its own-brand stores with expansion of its franchise network.

Following the inauguration of over 100 franchise bookshops in the last 5 years, the company has further accelerated expansion in 2026 with 30 new stores: of these, 21 are already open to the public, while 9 are set to open by the end of December in Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, and Veneto.

This result confirms the soundness of the franchise business model, complementary to corporation-owned stores and essential for ensuring widespread coverage, diversification, and proximity to readers thanks to the passion of the partner booksellers. Franchising also stands out as a key driver for growth of the network in economic terms: in 2025, the channel generated over 100 million euros in revenue, accounting for approximately 45% of Mondadori Retail’s total turnover.

“Franchising is one of Mondadori Retail’s most strategic, distinctive assets. The strength of our model stems from our ability to combine the scale and services of a large national network with the passion, deep local knowledge, and entrepreneurial spirit of our affiliates,” says Carmine Perna, CEO of Mondadori Retail. “Our day-to-day relationship with hundreds of booksellers is an invaluable asset of expertise and market insight for us, one which enables us to bring culture and books even to places with limited or non-existent cultural institutions. We will continue to invest resolutely in the development, renewal, and, above all, quality of our network, whilst always keeping books, readers, and the professionalism of our staff at the heart of our project,” Perna ends by saying.

The Mondadori Store franchise network also functions as a real entrepreneurial ecosystem which, thanks to the experience and vision of its franchisees, promotes the spread of culture throughout local communities and creates new jobs. Mondadori Bookstore franchises employ about 1,000 people, alongside 320 affiliated entrepreneurs, 150 of whom have been part of the network for more than 10 years or manage multiple stores.

FROM SCAMPIA TO BASSANO DEL GRAPPA: THE DIVERSITY OF THE FRANCHISE NETWORK
From residential areas in major cities to historic centres and the smallest towns, even on islands: Mondadori Retail’s franchise bookshops are the material proof of the richness and diversity of a model that engages with communities and meets widely differing needs.

Of particular note is the Mondadori Bookstore in Scampia, culturally strategic and with great symbolic value, that opened in October in this suburban area of Naples characterised by its large youth and student population, previously lacking in spaces dedicated to reading. A prime example of a multi-store project is the bookshop in Rome’s EUR district, opened last month by the same franchisee who runs the bookshops in Velletri, Lariano, Genzano di Roma, Frascati, Cisterna, and San Cesareo. The franchise network will shortly see the addition of stores such as the Mondadori Bookstore in Biella, a historic bookshop in this city with a strong local identity, together with other new entries that aim to enrich and enhance the social fabric of historic town centres, such as the upcoming inauguration in Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza). Further examples of Mondadori Retail’s focus on areas historically underserved by bookshops include the Mondadori Bookstore in Partinico (Palermo), inaugurated in August this year, and the Mondadori Point in Leni, which for years has served this tiny village on the island of Salina, with its population of just 667.

FRANCHISING AS A SOURCE OF KNOW-HOW
For Mondadori Retail, the franchise model is a vital asset of technical expertise and practical knowledge: a diverse network of professionals, each with their own experience, who understand the needs and purchasing behaviours of very different communities and regions.

Mondadori Retail and its network of franchisees enjoy an ongoing relationship, based on a reciprocal exchange of expertise: On the one hand, the company provides the strength of its brand, high-level training, and digital innovation; on the other, the franchisees bring value, new ideas, and a deep understanding of local communities, a wealth of relationships forged with local residents that grows stronger and acts as a driving force, day after day.

Mondadori Retail is the Mondadori Group company that manages the largest network of bookstores in Italy, with more than 500 stores spread from large cities to smaller centres. The network includes directly managed and franchised Mondadori Bookstores, as well as the MA, Mondadori Duomo and Rizzoli Milano bookshops. Mondadori Store also operates online through its e-commerce website Mondadoristore.it and its Book Club programme.
In 2025, Mondadori Retail recorded a total revenue of €220.3 million, with adjusted EBITDA of €19.7 million.