US book industry faces supply chain challenges

In the US, various factors are putting increasing pressure on the book industry’s supply chain, reports Publishers Weekly.

The challenges include shortages of truck drivers and trailers, congestion at the ports, escalating transportation costs and a labour shortage for printers, retailers and wholesalers. At a Book Industry Study Group (BISG) seminar in early July, one participant said these factors were ‘putting more pressure on the supply chain than at any time he could remember’, and in the following two months things have gotten worse.

The two biggest trade wholesalers, Ingram and Bookazine, have urged their accounts to take actions to mitigate these problems ahead of the holidays period, including asking them to order as early as possible. ‘We are experiencing shipping delays from the majority of our vendors and do not see the problem being eliminated prior to the holiday season,’ said Cindy Raiton, president of sales at Bookazine. ‘We advise all accounts to allow extra lead time and to take advantage of stock availability knowing that reprints will be challenging.’

Category: International news