Book bargain hunters will be disappointed to learn that Costco plans to stop selling books in most of its U.S. stores earlier this year.

In January, Costco will remove the store’s popular book section from most of its more than 600 stores across the United States.

And it will only return during the holiday season, from September to December, and other intermittent times, the discount chain told publishers over the summer, according to The New York Times.

Costco told executives that the change was made because storing books on tables was labor-intensive and had to be done by hand rather than with a forklift like other products, the Times reported.

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Book bargain hunters will be disappointed to learn that Costco plans to stop selling books in most of its U.S. stores earlier this year. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images)

The decision comes as more and more consumers are buying books through online outlets such as Amazon.

However, books will be available year-round at about 100 Costco stores across the country, trade magazine Publisher’s Weekly reported this week.

The decision to keep some books in stores would be a reversal of the store’s previous plans, the outlet reported.

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In January, Costco will remove the store’s popular book section from most of its more than 600 stores across the United States. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Publishing and Costco executives will also monitor sales trends for Taylor Swift’s official Eras Tour book, which will be sold exclusively at Target starting Black Friday, Publisher’s Weekly reported.

According to the magazine, if book sales continue to do well, Costco could resume offering literary sections in more stores, or they could all become seasonal if sales lag.

Stacks of books are for sale at a Costco warehouse in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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FOX Business has reached out to Costco for comment.