As magazines approach their release date, bookstores are becoming a daily routine after submitting their manuscripts. When Iolite was launched, I visited nearly 30 bookstores in Tokyo and spoke to bookstore staff who handle books on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the number of bookstores is gradually decreasing, and among the bookstores I visited, there was one that was closing in a few days.
In the Japanese publishing industry, there is a system called the "consignment system," which allows returns within a set period of time. It is said that around 30% of regular books and over 40% of magazines are returned without being sold at bookstores. Although it depends on the subject matter, it is understandable that magazines, which are published to sell relatively fresh information, are more likely to be returned.
The consignment system makes it seem like bookstores can purchase books with relative peace of mind, but in reality, this is not the case. The rising cost of shipping for returns due to rising prices also seems to be a problem. To solve these problems, some bookstores sell unsold magazines as sale items. It is said that more than 90% of the sale items will be sold, and although sales will decrease, costs such as return shipping fees will be reduced, making it easier to secure profits.
