Dutch competition authority urges schoolbook publishers to end bundled sales
The Autoriteit Consument en Markt has called on major schoolbook publishers to stop requiring combined purchases of print and digital editions and to increase price transparency.
In a new report, the Autoriteit Consument en Markt criticised the practice of forcing schools to buy print and digital versions together, labeling it a socially undesirable sales strategy. The authority noted that the three leading publishers—ThiemeMeulenhoff, Malmberg and Noordhoff—dominate the market and that prices have risen faster than comparable products over the past seven years. It also pointed out the sharp decline of reusable textbooks, with most workbooks ending up discarded after a year.
The ACM called on schools to evaluate the relationship between cost and quality, to opt for durable materials, and to cooperate through bodies such as the SIVON cooperative to strengthen their bargaining position. It warned that continued bundling could trigger further investigations into possible market abuse.
Why it matters
Bundled textbook sales raise costs for schools and limit the use of reusable learning materials.
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