As you all have already experienced, this final stretch of the year promises to be a challenging one for the supply chain. There are many reasons for this: difficulty hiring warehouse workers due to the labor shortage, ICE in communities, Amazon’s relentless hiring machine; the closing of a major US book component printer that many publishers depended on; the new Canadian tariffs (paper is harder and slower to source, extra steps at customs slow things down, timely reprints become impossible); shipping challenges and changes due to rising fuel prices caused by the US–Iran war; and the first full season without Baker & Taylor, meaning Ingram will be carrying a full load of libraries and bookstores for the first time. This perfect storm will rival 2020’s supply chain disruption.
Ingram actively improves their operations every year and they are coming into this season with a couple of much appreciated improvements. Even so they will be challenged to keep up with the demand — at least one publisher is already actively telling booksellers to order from Ingram instead of direct, more publishers are sending more books to Ingram for print on demand in anticipation of the challenges this season, and there are 500 more independent bookstores than there were this time last year.
To mitigate risks for booksellers, publishers have advised them to order early and order more, but cash flow makes this a challenge, as does the unpredictability of how much customers will be able or willing to spend in this challenging economy.
ABA has launched a campaign to get customers shopping early and we’ve created a recipient card for you to offer your customers when their gift won’t arrive in time. We’ll continue pitching media stories throughout the season and rev up our social media efforts. We’re talking with booksellers who are experiencing cash flow issues and offering them suggestions. If you have other ideas for how ABA can help booksellers this season, please reach out to [email protected].
Despite these significant concerns and the planning and pivoting they will require, this can still be a great holiday season. You have one more day for shipping and shopping because Thanksgiving falls a day earlier and Christmas a day later. Hanukkah is December 4–12 this year, which is good timing for retail sales. In a tough economy, books can be an affordable gift. And most importantly, what you all have to offer is what people are hungry for right now — connection, gathering, tradition, meaning, community, customer service. This is the recipe for a great holiday season, and you all know this recipe by heart.
—Allison K. Hill, ABA CEO