Rennes, land of attraction for booksellers

France has a bookstore for 30,000 inhabitants. In Rennes, it is one for 10,000. An average carried by the opening of nine new brands in five years, “While we feel a contraction in the book market”pointe Marie-Cécile Grimaultin charge of the economy of the book at the Book and Reading Agency in Brittany. Nevertheless, “These new bookstores offer an additional offer to the existing network”. In total, the Breton capital today lists 23 bookstores.

Historicals: trip, youth and … bd manga

The historic network is characterized by specialized bookstores. Ariane is a travel bookstore. Brittany ink offers a regionalist offer. The mystical rose Books of spirituality. The short scale is the only 100 % youth bookstore in the city… and several businesses share comics. You bull, Finally?! (1.2 million turnover in 2024) or Criticwhich celebrates its 25th anniversary and develops the novel Polar or Imaginary, as the linked publishing house offers. In 2022, its founder Éric Marcelin was investing in the manga, a few steps from his brand. Genus well represented by Japanimwhose second brand moved in 2023 in 300 m².

New bookstores: Insert into slots

To this historic network have been added new bookstore profiles since the late 2000s until the early 2020s. A period during which “ Generalist bookstores have been created, but with a color, a desire to defend certain values. They have specificities rather than a specialty ”retraces Marie-Cécile Grimault.

The general practitioner Downside (2017) is thus brought by LGBTQI+questions. How to say (2022), authority in literature and social sciences, in accordance with the skills of its manager Aliénor Mauvignier. The bookstore Nil (2022) is the only one in the city to offer a coffee space, and is distinguished by its queer novels, LGBT, boy’s love. The Little bookshop (2024) completes the history Greenwich in VO. And the Jean Calvin bookstore (2021) strengthens the nun The procure.

The Book of Jacobins (2021) is another cartoon specialist: “There are 6,000 new comics per year, so selection is a reflection of the bookseller, and people appreciate not having too many choices”estimates the manager Grégory Duval. Some 3,000 references all the same. And beers.

From there to live? “There are a lot of competition in Rennes, but I wanted to live there. And the competition is not that bad: that means that there are readers. We do not shoot ourselves in the legs ”, Smiles the one who takes little vacation … but owns his premises. “That makes the difference. But I would have been on a busy street, I could not have bought it ”. Leave or double.

Only three neighborhood bookstores

There remain the neighborhood bookstores. Meeting (2022) in the east, cooperatives The Words Experience (2021) and theAstrolabe (2022, resulting from Argyll editions, specialized in imagination) in the north and south, and since April the associative bookstore of students in Master in Book and publishing of Rennes 2 University.

Failler, far ahead

As of Lea perpetratorswho is celebrating her 100th anniversary, she climbs at 11^e Place of the French bookstore ranking in terms of turnover (8.9 million euros in 2024). It employs 47 people in full-time equivalent, perhaps more by the end of 2025. A development which follows the trends cited above: opening of a wellness antenna in 2023, then another in fine arts, strengthening of comics, romance, literature in VO and manga … with an objective of 100,000 ray titles by the end of the year (against 88,000 today). His only competitor, says manager Dominique Fredj: Amazon.

Between difficulties and rebirths

Other establishments have nevertheless pericked, such as the Crazy nave (BD), closed for economic reasons in 2024 after eight years of activity. The bookstore Pécari amphibi Has it had to return the premises to its owner. The bookstore Alphagraphtouched by water and bad figures damage, was replaced ten years after its closure by the Book of the Jacobins. The bookseller Jérôme Saliou, is today in the dawn of time. THE Book forumplaced in receivership in 2024, due in particular to the increase in rent, was taken up by Socultur, owner of Cultura.

Is there room? « Future booksellers, I invite them to work on a recovery. And if they want to create their bookstore, I suggest that they wait and observe ”, advisor Marie-Cécile Grimault. In any case, the bookseller of IO planetBernadette Vallée-Seigneur, Open their arms to them: “ All the booksellers are our comrades ”.