Tuesday, May 22, 2007

People Still Read Books

It’s nice to know that even in the age of rapid technological innovation, people still long to curl up on the sofa with a good book. Indigo Books & Music Inc., which operates the Indigo, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore, and Coles stores throughout Canada (as well as the http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ Website), reported record numbers for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Net earnings were up 18.4 per cent over the previous year, reaching a whopping $30 million. Total revenue was $201.9 million, up $11.8 million (6.2 per cent) over the same quarter last year. That’s a lot of Harry Potter and Shopaholic Series books!

This just goes to show that technology doesn't always replace the traditional way of doing things: it simply helps to enhance activities that we’ve always loved engaging in. I don’t see myself reading an electronic book any time soon; but when I’m relaxing on a flight with the latest paperback novel, I’ve definitely got my noise-canceling headphones on, and my MP3 player geared up and ready to go once I've finished a few chapters.

Kudos to Indigo for keeping us entertained the old-fashioned way while we jump on the tech bandwagon to enhance our experiences.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Most of our lives seem to be consumed with the latest tech gadgets and the latest new invention that is supposed to make our hectic lives a little less hectic. (For the record I still love these gadgets) However, nothing beats reading a good book. Yes, we are now capable of reading books online, but there comes a time when we have to say “enough is enough.” Reading a book online just gives a person another excuse to sit in front of a computer for a couple more hours. It’s as if we haven’t been sitting in front of that same computer screen for hours already: writing a paper for class, finishing up a report for your boss, or simply just browsing the web for the latest on what that crazy Paris Hilton has done next. Being able to sit on a couch somewhere reading, “Tuesday’s with Morrie” for example, is a way to just escape from our busy lives and have a moment to ourselves. Why would anyone turn down a peaceful moment to sit, relax, and enjoy? It just doesn’t make sense.

Marketnews - Christine Persaud said...

Hi Lindsay,

I totally agree. Balance is such an important part of life: not just with regards to work and personal life, but also in terms of how much technology one consumers. I'm a TV junkie like anyone else, but sometimes, I'd rather just relax outside in the sun with a good book.

P.S. Mitch Albom is a great writer, and Tuesdays with Morrie is a very powerful, and touching, story. I'd recommend it for sure!