As the days get colder and the nights get longer, there’s plenty of time to get stuck into a good book, and The Warehouse is revealing some of the trends keeping Kiwi readers coming back for more.
The Warehouse book buyer Simon Ireland said Kiwis are purchasing everything from autobiographies to children’s books to fiction, with an increase in the purchasing of physical books after the online trend that ramped up during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Just one recent example we’ve seen is an increase in the number of customers buying books as gifts for friends and family over the Christmas and Easter seasons. Customers are coming into the store to browse before choosing the titles they want to buy,” Ireland said.
Ireland also stated that in 2022 customers were snapping up fiction the fastest. This trend continues in 2023, boosted by The Warehouse’s commitment to selling new release fiction titles at just $26.00 each, like Lucinda Riley’s ‘Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt’, released today at the lowest price in New Zealand.
Ireland explained, “People are seeking entertainment or even an escape from reality with their fiction choices, and we know newer channels like BookTok (book reviews on TikTok) have helped get Kiwis into stores to find books they’ve seen online. This trend carries over from adult fiction into young adult fiction too.”
Some of the most popular authors in 2022 and 2023 sold at The Warehouse were Colleen Hoover, Ana Huang, Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Lee Child and Kiwi authors like Ruby Tui, whose autobiography ‘Straight Up’ continues to sell well.
A great seller so far in 2023 is undoubtedly ‘Spare’ by Prince Harry.
For those with kids, David Walliams and Dav Pilkey, authors of the ‘Dog Man’ and ‘Captain Underpants’ series, are bestsellers.
Children’s book authors dominated sales at The Warehouse in 2022, making up seven of the top 10 authors (by sales volumes).
Another trend Ireland saw is many educational and Māori language titles sold year-round.
“We really want to offer a wide range of titles for Kiwis, and we believe we have something for everyone! We’ve got the newest books, like Lucinda Riley’s Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt hitting shelves today for just $26.00, the cheapest in New Zealand. I’d encourage anyone to head to their local store to see what they can snap up. After a quick look on BookTok, though, of course,” Ireland said.
The Top 10 books sold at The Warehouse over the past year include five fiction titles, three children’s titles and two autobiographies.
The top-selling books at The Warehouse from April 2022 to April 2023 are as follows:
- No Plan B by Lee and Andrew Child
- Straight Up by Ruby Tui
- It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
- Spaceboy by David Williams
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diaper Overlode by Jeff Kinney
- The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley
- Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
- Spare by Prince Harry
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- Cat Kid Comic Club Collaborations by Dav Pilkey
Newest Release: Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley
