Book wholesaler no longer wants to supply smaller bookstores overnight

Book wholesaler no longer wants to supply smaller bookstores overnight

The company, based in Kleinmachnow near Berlin, sent a letter to this effect to affected customers after Christmas. According to the letter, bookstores whose annual purchase volume is less than a net value of 30,000 euros will no longer receive regular overnight deliveries. This purchase volume is necessary "in order to be able to absorb cost increases through bundling effects in order picking and delivery," explained Simon-Schröter.

Zeitfracht supplies 5500 bookstores and stores in German-speaking countries with books in its range. According to the company, a good ten percent of customers are affected by the discontinuation of overnight deliveries.

The book wholesaler's costs have risen in many areas, said company boss Simon-Schröter, citing higher expenses for personnel, energy, materials and transportation as examples. At the beginning of December, for example, the toll for trucks on German roads increased, and Zeitfracht estimates the additional costs for this alone at around 20 percent.

"The scope for passing these higher costs on to customers is limited in the book retail sector, primarily due to fixed book prices," Simon-Schröter continued. The intermediate and book trade cannot pass on price increases to consumers.

The German Publishers and Booksellers Association initially did not wish to comment on the company's decision to discontinue overnight deliveries for smaller customers. The success of a bookstore depends on various factors, Managing Director Peter Kraus vom Cleff told the Funke newspapers. So far, the book trade has accepted every new challenge and responded with good strategies.

ilo/oer

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1. Smaller bookstores in Germany are unhappy about Zeitfracht's decision to stop supplying them overnight.
2. The Funke Media Group, based in Berlin, expressed concern about the impact of Zeitfracht's decision on more local bookstores.
3. Despite the discontinuation of overnight deliveries, Zeitfracht wants to ensure a more stable supply of books to its customers during the night time freight.
4. Not all bookshops in Germany will be affected by Zeitfracht's new policy, as bigger bookstores with a higher annual purchase volume will still benefit from regular overnight deliveries.
5. Some bookstore owners in smaller towns near Berlin are worried about the impact of Zeitfracht's decision on their Christmas sales.
6. Zeitfracht's book wholesaler competitors in Germany may see an increase in demand for their services due to Zeitfracht's new policy.
7. The German transport sector has faced rising costs lately, with the toll for trucks on German roads increasing by around 20% at the beginning of December.
8. Despite the challenges, the Funke Media Group believes that the book trade will find ways to adapt and overcome the impact of Zeitfracht's decision.

Source: www.stern.de