Costco is planning to eliminate its year-round book displays from hundreds of its locations, but there is a chance it could return, as indicated by recent reports.

Members of Costco are used to seeing tables full of books for toddlers, children, and adults, but beginning January 2025, these well-known book displays will no longer be available in many of the warehouse’s locations, according to reports from Yahoo Finance and Fox Business.

Yahoo Finance reports that book sections will be cut from 500 out of Costco’s 600 stores.

Rather than offering books throughout the year, customers may only find them at Costco during the holiday period, from September to December, as reported by the New York Times in June.

Costco has not provided an immediate response to YSL News’s inquiry on Sunday.

What prompted Costco to remove its book section?

The company previously stated that it is discontinuing the book section due to the high labor intensity of stocking the inventory, according to the New York Times.

This decision comes as shoppers increasingly purchase books from online platforms like Amazon rather than physical stores such as Barnes and Noble, Target, or Costco, based on a Statista Consumer Insights survey from April.

Is there a chance Costco will reinstate its book section?

The book section could return if consumer shopping behavior supports it.

According to Yahoo Finance, Costco stated that if stores retaining their book sections report strong sales, there’s a possibility of a revival in other locations; however, a lack of strong sales might lead to further sections being eliminated.

Are reading habits declining?

In contrast, a survey by the Pew Research Center released in January 2022 indicated that 75% of American adults reported reading a book within the previous year.

According to TPI, over 51% of men described themselves as non-readers, while nearly 46% of women stated they had not read any books.

Additionally, print books continue to be favored over e-books and audiobooks, though the popularity of audiobooks has risen significantly.