London, June 20: The seventh and final Harry Potter book is sure to be a bestseller, but as a result of the discount wars, the only ones to profit from it might be JK Rowling and Bloomsbury. Small and big book stores insist that the discount wars for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has become so “ludicrous”, that instead of profiting from Pottermania, they might end up making a loss, or at best, just about covering their costs.
A survey of the UK's 1,400 independent bookshops revealed that most were ordering only a few copies of the eagerly awaited book, for they expected most customers to buy it from online or at supermarket chains that are charging 8 to 9 pounds on discount instead of the nearly 17 pounds that is the price.
Tim Robinson, the manager of Muswell Hill Bookshop, in north London, said that the price war was especially “ludicrous”, as the popularity of the Potter series means that even without offering a discount, sellers could make a tidy profit.
The final book’s cover price has already been cut by half at supermarket Asda and Tesco, five weeks before its release, and bookstore Waterstones have unwillingly followed by slashing their price to 8.99 pounds, while WH Smith will sell it at 9.97 pounds and Woolworths at 9.99 pounds.
The book, which goes on sale at midnight on July 21, is still expected to become the fastest-selling book of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment