Book bargain hunters will be disappointed to learn Costco plans to stop selling books at most of its U.S. stores at the beginning of the year.
In January, Costco will remove the store’s popular book section from the majority of its 600-plus stores in the United States.
And it will only return during the holiday season, from September to December, and at other intermittent times, the discount store chain told publishers over the summer, according to The New York Times.
Costco told the executives the change was made because stocking books on tables is labor-intensive and must be done by hand rather than by forklift like other products, the Times reported.
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The decision comes as more consumers are buying books through online outlets like Amazon.
Books will remain in around 100 Costco stores across the country all year, however, trade news magazine Publisher’s Weekly reported this week.
The decision to keep some books in stores would be a reversal from the store’s earlier plans, the outlet reported.
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Publishing and Costco executives will also be watching sales trends for Taylor Swift’s official Eras Tour book, which is being sold exclusively at Target starting on Black Friday, Publisher’s Weekly reported.
If book sales continue to do well, Costco could bring literary sections back to more stores, according to the magazine, or all of them could become seasonal if sales lag.
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FOX Business has reached out to Costco for comment.
