Ready, set, go: Pre-fall sales trends and data-driven insights - Tech Forum 2025

What’s selling? Who’s reading? And what can we expect in the lead up to this year’s holiday season? In this session, we’ll explore mid-year market data, including sales trends from January through summer, year-over-year comparisons from past peak periods, recent library circulation insights, and more. Whether you’re finalizing your end-of-year plans or exploring new opportunities, this data-driven check-in will help guide your next steps.

Link to recording and presentation slides: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/ready-set-go-pre-fall-sales-trends-and-data-driven-insights/

Presented by BookNet Canada on September 23, 2025 with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

1. Ready, set, go:
Pre-fall sales trends and data-driven insights
Lily Dwyer + Lauren Stewart + Kalpna Patel
September 23, 2025
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2. Visit native-land.ca to
learn more about the
peoples whose land
you are joining from
today.
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Mid-Year Market and Circulation Review

4. Book Sales
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Print Market Sales

+1.71%


2025 over 2024

5. Book Sales by Subject Fiction
-1.04%

Non-Fiction
+6.43%

Juvenile
-0.34%

Young Adult

+13.58%



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6. Top Selling Titles
Fiction

Fiction Non-Fiction Juvenile YA
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7. Library Circulation
●772 branches from 84 public library systems across Canada reported into
LibraryData in 2025
●Covers approximately 25% of the Canadian population



Loans
24,985,863

Renewals
13,492,320

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8. Library Circulation by Subject
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9. Top Circulating Titles
Fiction

Fiction Non-Fiction Juvenile YA
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10. Top Selling Canadian Titles: Overall
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11. Top Selling Canadian Titles: Fiction
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12. Top Selling Canadian Titles: Non-Fiction
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13. Top Selling Canadian Titles: Juvenile
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14. Top Circulating Canadian Titles: Overall
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15. Top Circulating Canadian Titles: Fiction
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16. Top Circulating Canadian Titles: Non-Fiction
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17. Top Circulating Canadian Titles: Juvenile
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Buying Canadian

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“Just over half (55%) of Canadians say they
are willing to make personal sacrifices to
support Canadian businesses, despite four in
10 (41%) agreeing that boycotting U.S.
products is mostly symbolic and will have
little economic impact on the U.S.”
Source: IPSOS: Pragmatism Over Patriotism?

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“34% of Canadians have “high economic
patriotism”—meaning they’re willing to
sacrifice prosperity for economic
independence.”
Source: Pallas Economic Patriotism Index

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●Antiques & Collectibles / Subjects &
Themes / Canadiana
●Art / Canadian
●Cooking / Regional & Cultural /
Canadian
●Drama / Canadian
●Fiction / Places / Canada
●Fiction / World Literature / Canada
●Gardening / Regional / Canada
●History / Canada
●History / Military / Canada
●Literary Collections / Canadian
●Literary Criticism / Canadian
●Poetry / Canadian
●Political Science / World / Canadian
●Social Science / Cultural & Ethnic
Studies / Canadian Studies
●Travel / Canada

●Juvenile Fiction / Biographical / Canada
●Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Canada
●Juvenile Fiction / Places / Canada
●Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Canada
●Juvenile Nonfiction / Places / Canada
●Young Adult Fiction / Historical / Canada
●Young Adult Fiction / Places / Canada
●Young Adult Nonfiction / History / Canada
●Young Adult Nonfiction / Places / Canada

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JUV NF / Places / Canada
+103.58%

JUV F / Places / Canada
+63.23%

Fiction / World Literature /
Canada
+343.51%

JUV NF / History / Canada
+53.89%

YA F / Historical / Canada
+81.63%

JUV F / Biographical / Canada
+625.27%

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2024 Subject Trends in 2025 (So Far)

35. Non-Fiction / Travel
Europe
-7.36%

Canada
+1.12%

Special Interest
-35.69%

United States
-48.14%

Asia
+3.68%



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36. TOP SELLING: Travel
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37. Romantasy
Fantasy /
Romance
+8.18%

Romance /
Fantasy
+82.86%

YA Fantasy /
Romance
+6.02%




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38. TOP SELLING: Romantasy
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39. Fiction / Romance
New Adult
-24.40%

Paranormal
-48.20%

Holiday
+59.61%

Workplace
-40.58%

Sports
+127.86
%



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40. TOP SELLING: Romance / Sports
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41. Comics & Graphic Novels
Adult
+3.15%

Juvenile
+0.28%

YA
-30.56%





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42. TOP SELLING: Comics & Graphic Novels
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43. Horror
Adult
+10.07%

Juvenile
+19.03%

YA
+5.34%





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44. TOP SELLING: Fiction / Horror
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45. TOP SELLING: Juvenile Fiction / Horror
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46. TOP SELLING: Non-Fiction / Cooking
Comfort Food
+37.37%

Bread
+26.55%

Pasta
+35.61%

Individual Chefs &
Restaurants
+49.06%





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47. TOP SELLING: “Cozy” Cookbooks
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48. What’s the vibe in 2025?
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+48%
+46%
Unit sales of Cozy Fantasy

Unit sales of Dark Fantasy

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51. Unit sales of Comics + Graphic Novels / East Asian Style / Manwha
+105%
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53. Unit sales of Korean sub-categories
+136% +9% +40%
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54. Year over year performance of
Colouring Books Unit sales of Colouring Books
+170%
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57. Unit sales of Sticker Books
Year over year performance of Sticker
Books

+192%
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59. +60%
Unit sales of Young Adult / Fiction / Science Fiction
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60. Average market share of Holiday/Romance in Q4 2022 to 2024
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Season’s Readings: A Look at
Holiday Book-Buying

63. Average market share by category from 2022 to 2024
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69. Q&A
Please submit your questions
through the Zoom Q&A panel.
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Upcoming Tech Forum events:

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72. Thank you
[email protected]
booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up
September, 2025