Costco will stop selling certain products from January: the reasons

Starting this January 2025, loyal Costco users You will notice the absence of one of its most popular sections: books. The wholesale chain will eliminate this category in more than 600 stores from the United States, reserving it only for the Christmas season, between September and December, according to statements shared with The New York Times.

According to the publication, Costco informed publishers of this decision since last summer and the reason focuses mainly on the logistical complexity of managing books in your warehouses. While other products can be easily moved with forklifts, lBooks require manual handling.

Besides, It is explained that online sales have gained prominencecompeting directly with the physical book sections in stores. Although many retailers have decided to maintain their commitment to selling books, recognizing their importance in the publishing market, Costco is adjusting its strategy.

Brenna Connor, director of American books at the research firm Circana, commented to the aforementioned medium that “books at Costco are an easy way to access popular titles or shop for little ones. “They have significant weight in the publishing industry.”

Impact on the publishing industry

The New York Times assured that Costco’s decision to withdraw the books, makes a great impact on its clients, but also on publishing companiessince the company placed large orders for important titles, acquiring tens of thousands of copies with each order.

Robert Gottlieb, director of literary agency Trident Media Group, expressed concern about the effect it will have on the market. “Costco was a key point for book sales throughout the country. There are fewer and fewer physical spaces to purchase books”, he told The New York Times.

Costco to experiment with book sales in some stores

Fortunately, 100 Costco stores will continue to offer booksallowing the company to evaluate whether this decision can be reversed. According to a Yahoo Finance report, If sales in these stores prove favorable, the book section could gradually return to other markets. In recent years, Costco had already removed books in some places, such as Alaska and Hawaii.

With this restructuring, Costco joins the challenges of the retail sector in times where digital sales continue to gain ground over traditional shopping experiences.

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