$9.1bn
$XXX.Xm
19,674
3,237
$X.Xbn
The Book, Magazine and Newspaper Wholesaling industry has remained in a state of rapid decline. Print media has declined in line with increased consumption of digital news and entertainment, fueled by the continued proliferation of mobile devices. Simultaneously, wholesalers have become less involved in distributing print media, and retail stores have decreased their magazine offerings. Publishers have also boosted their circulation by offering discounted subscriptions, which are mailed directly to consumers without the aid of a wholesale distributor. Meanwhile, the number of brick-and-mortar book stores has contracted, reducing the industry's largest and natural customer base. Revenue is expected to fall at a CAGR of 8.9% to $9.1 billion over the five years to 2023, including 6.6% during the current year.The COVID-19 pandemic created an additional death knell for the industry, accelerating the long-term downward trend of the industry. With widespread stay-at-home orders and social distancing policies in place to slow down the spread of the virus, consumers turned ever more to the internet to consume media. The pandemic saw the continued proliferation of digital news websites, while print newspaper publishers continued to exit the industry. In response to the continued decline of print media, print wholesalers have consolidated to maintain negotiating power with ever-larger upstream and downstream customers. This has enabled companies to preserve already thin profit margins.The industry will continue to be battered by an ongoing consumer shift to digital media moving forward. Substitute products, like online content and e-books, and a shift away from single-copy sales of consumer magazines toward subscription sales will likely contribute to declining revenue. As print media wholesaling continues its structural decline, many companies in the industry are expected to focus more on publishing services and digital media distribution, ultimately eroding participation in the industry as its main companies pivot away. Revenue is projected to decline at a CAGR of 5.8% to $6.7 billion over the five years to 2028.
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 8.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $9.1bn in 2024.
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Company | Market Share (%)
2023 | Revenue ($m)
2023 | Profit ($m)
2023 | Profit Margin (%)
2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ingram Industries Inc. | 693.5 | 27.5 | 4.0 | |
ReaderLink Distribution Services LLC | 601.0 | 23.8 | 4.0 |
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Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Books, Periodicals and newspapers and Other printed materials. Books is the largest segment of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US.
Despite overall decline, books remain the dominant output
Companies in this industry primarily distribute and wholesale books, magazines, newspapers and periodicals. Map, pamphlet and antique book distributors and wholesalers are also included in this industry, while online and other paper product distributors or wholesalers are excluded.
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NAICS 42492 - Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Digitalization has cannibalized print media, reducing the market for wholesalers. The convenience of digital news spells the permeant contraction of the print market.
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Books remain the largest product for wholesalers. Yet, even within the book market, readers have increasingly turned to electronic editions, which are distributed from publis...
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Wholesale locations are tied to population distribution. States with large markets like Texas, Florida, New York Illinois and California are major locational hubs.
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Wholesalers compete heavily on product price, which limits profitability. However, product range is a key aspect of competition because of the exclusive intellectual property...
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Print media wholesaling is highly fragmented at the national level. Wholesalers operate regionally, where they are able to establish regional concentration.
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Antitrust laws have prevented the merger of print media companies across the supply chain. No retailers have attempted to merge with industry retailers in more than two decad...
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Declining sales have undercut profit margins. The shift to digital has reduced opportunities for profit across the print media supply chain, including for wholesalers.
Including values and annual change:
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Key data sources in the US include:
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The market size of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry in United States is $9.1bn in 2024.
There are 3,237 businesses in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 6.3 % between 2019 and 2024.
The market size of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry in United States has been declining at a CAGR of 8.9 % between 2019 and 2024.
Over the next five years, the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry in United States is expected to decline.
The biggest companies operating in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling market in United States are Ingram Industries Inc. and ReaderLink Distribution Services LLC
Antique book wholesaling and Book wholesaling are part of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry.
The company holding the most market share in United States is Ingram Industries Inc..
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US industry in United States.