| Sumario: | The article reports on opportunities for the Great Britain-based publishers to expand their businesses in France. For many years the French book industry was based on family businesses. But a series of mergers in the 1970s led to the growth of an oligarchy in the industry, and the merger of Hachette and VUP has made France one of the most concentrated book markets in the world. There is a deep concern that the Hachette/VUP group will become an industry monopoly and outdo its competitors in almost every sector of the book business. The group will own 40% of all books published in France, and be responsible for more than 60% of book distribution. Sales of French publishers grew by 2.9% to €2.35 billion in 2001. Retail sales account for approximately two-thirds of publishers' sales. Fnac, which has more then 60 stores spread across France, has a 15% to 16% share of the book market. The schoolbook market in France, outside of English language teaching, does not offer much opportunity. The most straightforward opportunity for the Great Britain-based publishers in France lies in the international and bilingual schools. INSET: Global Publishing Information.
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