It's a fact that manga sales in the United States have been increasing year after year for the past three years. Milton Griepp's CEO stated that in 2015 manga generated $85 million, an increase of $10 million since 2014.
It's also true that, in the wake of the Pokémon GO tsunami, many publishers have tried to ride the wave to boost sales. Viz Media itself republished the original Pokémon adventures to capitalize on this trend.
Viz Media has seen an 18% increase in sales volume , according to marketing and sales director Kevin Hamric. This growth isn't limited to the UK; sales have risen to 44% in the UK. Viz Media has capitalized on the Pokémon GO phenomenon to bring the original manga series back to the market.
One of the biggest reasons manga sales are increasing in the United States is that major retailers are prioritizing it. Barnes & Noble has focused on this type of publication since last summer, even doubling the shelf space in its stores to carry the hottest comics. This is due to strong consumer interest in purchasing this type of product.
Best Buy is another one that will take up an entire floor in each of its 687 stores to offer manga, including the popular Naruto and Assassination Classroom, as well as DVDs and Blu-rays.
This type of comic is moving from specialized shops to large retailers, as has been happening for some time now here in our country with Fnac. We also can't forget how Amazon itself has launched a special "manga" edition of its popular Kindle Paperwhite.