For the first time in the history of the book trade in Russia, online platforms have taken the first place in terms of sales of printed books, overtaking traditional bookstores. According to Eksmo-AST publishing holding, marketplaces accounted for 57.8% of all paper book sales in 2025, compared with 45% last year.
Platforms such as Wildberries and Ozon have shown particularly strong growth. For example, Wildberries recorded a 15% increase in book sales. Users showed increased interest in poetry (an increase of 176%) and biographies with historical literature (plus 76%). Youth literature gained popularity on Ozon with an impressive 280% increase and plays — plus 140%.
Irina Antonova, Head of Marketing at Alpina Publishing Group, noted that previously the ratio between online and retail was in favor of the latter — 60 to 40. Now it's the other way around. In the first half of 2025 alone, sales through marketplaces increased by 3% and account for up to 65% of the group's total sales.
Experts attribute these changes to changing consumer habits: customers are increasingly choosing convenience, a wide range and the ability to quickly find the right publication without physically going to the store. Online channels give readers more flexibility and access to rare and niche publications.
Thus, marketplaces become not only a center for the purchase of everyday goods, but also a new main showcase for book products, transforming the very model of book trade in the country.
