Gibert, a major bookstore chain in Paris, is currently facing a challenging period as it undergoes a judicial restructuring and a Plan for the Protection of Employment for its Parisian stores. Around thirty jobs are at risk in Paris, with a total of 84 job losses out of the 500 that the group employs. The closure of Gibert bookstores on Quai Saint-Michel, Barbès, and the Printemps Nation corner has drawn attention from Nicolas Bonnet Oulaldj, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of employment and social inclusion. Bonnet Oulaldj, who previously served as deputy mayor in charge of commerce under the previous administration, emphasized that Gibert has been the economic engine of the Saint-Germain neighborhood, and its disappearance could have significant consequences on the Boulevard Saint-Michel. Bonnet Oulaldj highlighted that Gibert's stores, accessible via the RER B and with an affordable pricing policy, have been a popular destination for generations of readers, particularly young people. The deputy mayor noted that the Saint-Germain neighborhood has already lost 15% of its stores and stressed the importance of protecting these stores in the Paris Bioclimatic Local Urban Planning Plan, approved by the Paris Council in November 2024. He also pointed out that the closure of Gibert Barbès is particularly damaging as it is located in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the capital. The Paris Council has adopted a motion to support independent bookstores and protect local cultural businesses in Paris. This includes the development of a Parisian strategy to support bookstores, working with Paris Commerces and the city's landlords on controlled rents, contractual protection tools, and the modalities of a future Parisian support fund for bookstores. An observatory of Parisian bookstores would also be established to monitor the sector's developments. Bonnet Oulaldj has also advocated for stricter rent control for commercial properties, with a priority for cultural businesses, and considers this subject a central proposal for left-wing candidates in upcoming presidential and legislative elections. Similar proposals have already emerged in Parliament, with draft laws and a report published recently. Regarding the employment aspect, Bonnet Oulaldj advocates for obtaining complete transparency on the economic situation of companies in favor of employees, whose right to alert must be strengthened. At the Parisian level, he intends to work on this issue, highlighted by the troubles of Gibert, but also of BHV. "Employees cannot be used as adjustment variables," he asserts. The response received to a letter sent to the group's management before the summer had led Bonnet Oulaldj to anticipate a lack of transparency regarding the group's orientations, the issues related to logistics, the image of the stores, or their relaunch. In a separate development, the judicial restructuring procedure initiated for the company Eilean Books will likely lead to an acquisition, with four bidders presenting themselves for the takeover, including Hachette Livre, Média Participations, and Editis. Other notable events in the publishing and book industry include the relaunch of the book collection among 7000 employees of the telecommunications group Orange and the second-hand book specialist Ammareal, the appointment of Marie Cobessi to the general direction of the French Society of the Book (SFL), and the acquisition of the Le Passage editions by the Glénat group. In the United States, publishing revenues have shown significant growth, with net revenues declared by publishers participating in the StatShot of the Association of American Publishers reaching 1 billion $ in July 2026, an increase of 14% over one year. Trade books are driving this growth, supported by paperbacks and digital audio, while e-books are declining. In Brazil, the battle over discounts has moved from speech to purchase orders, with WMF Martins Fontes announcing its decision to withdraw its books from Amazon in the coming months. In Japan, the Ministry of Economy (METI) has set a target of 1,000 billion yen in international sales for manga by 2033, compared to 300 billion yen in 2024. In the United Kingdom, the printed book market has already crossed the billion-pound threshold by August 15, with the British book market generating 1.003 billion £ within the NielsenIQ BookScan perimeter, an increase of 2.3% over one year. In Quebec, fiction sales observed by Gaspard in independent bookstores have reached 14.5 times the level of a reference Wednesday in 2026. Other notable events include the death of several prominent authors and illustrators, such as Janine Boissard, Peter May, and Joshua Cassara, as well as the launch of new books and projects, such as Japan by Sea by Dominique Dufour and Drooms by Rupert Wach.