As economy sinks, cookbook sales rise

by Julie Tilsner, Posted Oct 8th 2008 @ 10:00AM

Maybe you read about the fact that Campbell's Soup was the only stock on the S&P 500 that didn't fall that fateful day in late September, when the market tanked 700 points. This is like that. Only with recipes.

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), publishers are betting big that cookbooks will continue to sell even as everyone tightens their wallets significantly. No surprise there. Eating out is one of the first luxuries people cut back on in tough times.

But publishers are hoping this turn of events will help them peddle product during the upcoming holiday shopping season, which is shaping up to look otherwise pretty unappetizing. They are releasing a clutch of new cookbooks from well-known names, including Paula Deen, Jacques Pepin and Jeff Henderson, figuring that as long as people are cooking more from home, they will buy a book of recipes from names they recognize from the Food Network.

The economy (or maybe the Food Network) has already pushed the cookbook category upward. Borders Group Inc. said cookbook sales were up in the second quarter of this year, which ended in June, over the first quarter, according to this CNN piece. Amazon.com has seen double-digit growth in book sales in the food, cooking and wine category during this past year, said a spokeswoman.

A spokeswoman for Borders said sales of "comfort food cookbooks," featuring baking, cookies and desserts, have seen double-digit increases in sales in the past year.

"These are dishes that require a time commitment to prepare and bake, suggesting people are staying at home," she said.

Maybe there's a sweet spot in this recession after all.

Source

Filed Under: Books
Tags: Cookbook sales, CookbookSales, sinking economy, SinkingEconomy, wall street journal, WallStreetJournal