Book prices to rise in 2022: Ingram

In the US, Ingram Content Group has warned that price inflation is set to affect book publishers in 2022 due to higher shipping and printing costs, reports Publishers Weekly.

Director of consumer insights Pete McCarthy said paper prices increased 10–12% in 2021 and are likely to go up more in 2022, as some paper plants have converted to producing cardboard to meet demand from online retailers.

Regarding shipping, container costs have increased 50–70%, while travel times from China and the UK to the US have also increased. Domestically, FedEx and UPS are predicting rate hikes of up to 6%.

While publishers have shifted more production to the US and lowered print runs, printing capacity domestically remains constrained. ‘Some printers in the US have completely allocated their time for 2022 already,’ McCarthy said. ‘Today, publishers need to print for sale, not for stock.’

Ingram said the net result of this activity is publishers may feel the need to raise book prices.

Category: International news