Thu Sep 19 06:04:49 UTC 2024: ## Istanbul’s Sahaflar Bazaar Faces Extinction as E-commerce Erodes Book Market
Istanbul’s historic Sahaflar Bazaar, once a haven for book lovers, is struggling for survival as the rise of e-commerce reshapes Türkiye’s book market. Second-hand book sales have plummeted by 80%, with shopkeepers blaming publishing houses for selling books at discounted rates online.
“We need to ban online book sales,” pleaded one shopkeeper, highlighting the desperation felt by many. Others call for government intervention, urging municipalities to provide affordable rental spaces to support small businesses.
The crisis in Sahaflar is part of a broader struggle for the Turkish book industry. Book prices have skyrocketed by 60-80% in 2023 alone, driven by inflation and rising production costs, particularly in paper. This has created a significant challenge for independent booksellers, who feel overwhelmed by the unfair competition from publishers selling online at lower prices.
The Book Market Report by the Turkish Publishers Association (TYB) reveals that online platforms now account for 38.5% of book sales, a dramatic increase from 21.7% just a few years ago.
Beyond e-commerce, the closure of domestic paper mills has pushed up costs further. Booksellers are facing a dire situation, with some lamenting that “the big fish swallowed the small fish.” The future of Sahaflar, a symbol of Istanbul’s rich literary culture, hangs in the balance, and calls for government intervention grow louder.
First Piper 