New chapter for secondhand books

Sales of second-hand books in Marlborough appear to be undergoing a revival as readers turn away from digital alternatives, op shop managers say.

Staff at charity shops in Blenheim are now selling hundreds of pre-loved books every day.

The welcome boom follows a slump in sales for some stores when readers turned away from buying traditional paperbacks.

SPCA Op Shop manager Katrina Greenall says staff have revamped the shop on Grove Rd in Blenheim to make more of a feature of the books as they were proving so popular.

‘‘In the last six months I’ve noticed that books are making a comeback and becoming more popular again as for a while there we were hardly selling any.

‘‘I think people are getting a bit fed up with the whole technology thing and just want to be able to read a book in peace without getting distracted by their phone or email,’’ Katrina says.

‘‘We now have a special area at the back of the store for books and a chair where people can sit and decide which book they want.

Gardening and sports books are proving really popular.’’

Electronic books, also known as e-books, became popular around six years ago. E-books are stored as electronic files which are cheaper to buy than hardcopy books.

Blenheim St John community shop manager Marlene Weatherall says the demand for pre-loved books has been high.

‘‘A lot of people don’t want to have to pay $39 for a new book. The beauty of second-hand books is that they’re easy to pass on to people too.

‘‘Demand is very high at the moment as people are coming in to get their summer reads. We sold almost 50 in an hour.’’

Blenheim Hospice Shop manager Christine Law says she had been concerned about the impact e-readers would have on book sales.

‘‘About three years ago, a lot of people were getting rid of books and emptying their book cases but now books are flying out [the door].

‘‘People love books and having a book to read is something special.’’