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Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling in the US Industry Data and Analysis
The book, magazine and newspaper wholesaling industry has faced major upheaval in recent years as digital disruption fundamentally reshapes how consumers access news and entertainment. The shift from print to digital formats has cannibalized traditional sales, hitting this sector hard, particularly for magazines and local newspapers. With more readers turning to smartphones and tablets for free, up-to-the-minute content, wholesalers that have long depended on the physical distribution of periodicals and books find themselves grappling with declining demand and tighter profit margins. Simultaneously, wholesalers have become less involved in distributing print media and retail stores have decreased their magazine offerings. Publishers have attempted to boost their circulation by offering discounted subscriptions, which are mailed directly to consumers without the aid of a wholesale distributor. Meanwhile, the number of brick-and-mortar book stores has contracted, reducing the industry's largest and most natural customer base. Revenue is expected to shrink at a CAGR of 2.9% to $10.6 billion through the end of 2025, including a separate dip of 2.9% in 2025 alone.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released June 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 42492. Companies in this industry primarily distribute and wholesale books, magazines, newspapers and periodicals. Map, pamphlet and antique book distributors and wholesalers are also included in this industry, while online and other paper product distributors or wholesalers are excluded. Related terms covered in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States include wholesale bypass, electronic data interchange (edi), e-book, e-reader, book distributors and book wholesalers.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States include Books, Periodicals and newspapers and Other printed materials.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States include Ingram Industries Inc. and ReaderLink Distribution Services LLC.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States is $10.6bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 7,204 businesses in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States?
The Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States?
The Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States has been declining at a CAGR of 2.9 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States are Ingram Industries Inc. and ReaderLink Distribution Services LLC
What does the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States include?
Book wholesaling and Periodicals and newspaper wholesaling are part of the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States is Ingram Industries Inc..
How competitive is the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Book, Magazine & Newspaper Wholesaling industry in the United States.
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