According to the Federal Statistical Office the turnover generated in the German retail trade in 2005 with regard to books and professional journals amounted to more than 4 billion Euros (without VAT).
This figure is based on turnover statistics taking into account companies with an annual turnover of more than 17.500 Euros. In 2005 there were 5123 such companies which mainly dealt in books and professional journals. Amongst these the 45 biggest companies with an annual turnover of at least 10 million Euros each generated a combined turnover of 1.7 billion Euros or 42% of the total turnover in this business. The turnover figures generated by mail order businesses or department stores could not be retrieved on the basis of the turnover statistics in question. 