In its just-released annual report on the Canadian book market, BookNet Canada said sales of print books in the country saw a slight increase in 2015. Unit sales of print books were up 0.8% (or 52.6 million units), with a total dollar value increase of 1.6% (or C$983.4 million). The data is compiled from more than 2,000 stores, including large chains, indie bookstores, and online retailers.
The nonfiction category saw a jump in unit sales of 5.5%, and 2.8% in value. According to BookNet Canada, this significant increase is largely due to the success of adult coloring books. The fifth- and sixth-bestselling books in the country last year were Secret Garden and Lost Ocean by Johanna Basford. Because coloring books fall under the Games and Art category, those subjects saw a huge unit sales increase. Games saw a jump of 309.5%, while Art saw an increase of 163.1%t.
Another boost to the nonfiction category was The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Thanks in large part to the success of that single title, the House & Home category saw an increase in units sold of 112.2%.
Unit sales of fiction titles fell slightly in the year, by 0.9%, but saw a value increase of 3.5%, indicating that readers were buying fewer, but more expensive, books. The three bestselling books in Canada overall were also fiction titles: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and E.L. James’s Grey. The fourth-bestselling book in the country was the nonfiction title My Secret Sister by Jenny Lee Smith and Helen Edward.
Unit sales of juvenile titles saw a decrease of 1.1% last year, and made up a total of 37.1% of overall unit sales, with the bestselling title in this category being Jeff Kinney’s Old School, the latest in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
