Bazar Kustannus

What Bazar Kustannus does

Bazar Kustannus is a Finnish trade book publishing imprint headquartered in Helsinki (Lönnrotinkatu 18 A, 00120 Helsinki), operating as a division of Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY), a Finnish media conglomerate. Founded in 2002, the company employs 28 people and publishes fiction and non-fiction in Finnish across multiple formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Its catalog is anchored by exclusive Finnish-language rights to internationally best-selling authors including Lucinda Riley (the Seven Sisters series and standalone titles continued by her son Harry Whittaker), Jill Mansell, and Elin Hilderbrand, alongside established domestic franchises such as Kale Puonti's Pasilan Myrkky crime series and Juha Vuorinen's humorous fiction (DikDek, Juoppohullun päiväkirja). The imprint has also expanded into true-crime non-fiction (Helinä Häkkanen) and audiobook conversation series.

The company's business model centers on acquiring publishing rights, producing books in multiple formats, and distributing through a mix of retail and digital channels. Revenue derives from one-time book sales across print and digital formats (via Kirja.fi as the primary domestic retail partner) and from licensing/royalty arrangements for translated works. Digital distribution extends through audiobook and ebook subscription platforms including BookBeat, Storytel, Nextory, and Podimo, giving the catalog access to both physical retail and global streaming consumption channels. Marketing relies on the company website (bazarkustannus.fi), seasonal catalogs, and author-driven social media presence.

Bazar Kustannus serves the Finnish-speaking general consumer reading market, addressing demand for entertainment, fiction (crime, romance, historical), self-improvement, and non-fiction content. The company was recognized in 2024 with the Vuoden johtolanka award from the Finnish Crime Writers' Association for Kale Puonti's novel 'Fadi' from the Pasilan Myrkky series. Multiple of its franchise properties have been adapted for television, including an Elisa Viihde original series based on Pasilan Myrkky and a C More adaptation of the DikDek series, demonstrating successful IP extension into adjacent media.

Name

Bazar Kustannus

Legal name

Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö

Website

https://bazarkustannus.fi

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bazar Kustannus is a Helsinki-based Finnish trade book publisher (28 employees, est. 2002) that publishes and distributes fiction and non-fiction in Finnish across print, ebook, and audiobook formats, serving Finnish-speaking general consumer readers through domestic retail and global digital audiobook platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audiobook Publishers (Trade & Consumer) (MPAJAIAA), Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Book publishing services
• Fiction and non-fiction
• Audiobook distribution
• Literary translation rights
• Finnish publishing house

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Revenue from publishing and selling books in various formats including print books, ebooks, and audiobooks through retail partners and digital platforms.
2. Licensing and Rights: Publishing rights for translated works from international authors such as Lucinda Riley, Jill Mansell, and Elin Hilderbrand.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bazar Kustannus publishes fiction and non-fiction books in Finnish, featuring both internationally translated bestsellers (Lucinda Riley, Jill Mansell, Elin Hilderbrand) and popular Finnish authors (Kale Puonti, Juha Vuorinen). The publisher issues titles in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats, anchored by recurring series franchises such as Seitsemän sisarta (Seven Sisters), Pasilan Myrkky, and the Juoppohullun päiväkirja series. Distribution reaches readers through Finnish retail (Kirja.fi), physical bookstores, and global digital audiobook/ebook platforms (BookBeat, Storytel, Nextory, Podimo).

Product overview

Bazar Kustannus on suomalainen kirjakustantamo, joka julkaisee sekä kotimaisia että käännöskirjallisuutta useissa formaateissa (kovakantiset, pokkarit, e-kirjat, äänikirjat). Kustantamon kirjavalikoima jakautuu useisiin erillisiin tuoteperheisiin: kansainvälisiin kirjasarjoihin (Seitsemän sisarta -sarja Lucinda Rileyltä ja Harry Whittakerilta, Elin Hilderbrandin rantakirjallisuus, Jill Mansellin romanttiset romaanit), kotimaisiin dekkarisarjoihin (Kale Puontin Pasilan Myrkky -sarja) sekä Juha Vuorisen humoristisiin ja grotesqueihin teoksiin (DikDek-parodiasarja, Juoppohullun päiväkirja -sarja). Lisäksi kustantamo julkaisee tietokirjoja (Helinä Häkkäsen rikoksentekijöistä kertovat teokset), äänikirjasarajoja keskusteluohjelmilla (Kyttä ja kynämies, Immun ja Kalen rötöskatsaus, Karkeakirjallisuuden kuulapäät, Kaunokirjallisuuden karvakuonot) sekä yksittäisiä romaaneja ja tietokirjoja.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kirja.ficoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline bookstore partnership for selling physical and digital books to Finnish consumers. Kirja.fi serves as the primary retail partner featuring Bazars book catalog.
• BookBeatcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAudiobook and ebook distribution platform providing access to Bazars audiobook catalog including works by Jill Mansell, Lucinda Riley, Kale Puonti, and others.
• StorytelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubscription-based audiobook and ebook platform distributing Bazars Finnish and translated literature in digital format.
• NextoryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital book and audiobook platform for distributing Bazars catalog to readers in Finland.
• PodimominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPodcast and audiobook platform distributing select titles from Bazars catalog.
• Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (Wsoy)coreOthersParent company and data controller for Bazar Kustannus. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (Y-tunnus 0599340-0) handles data protection and privacy matters for the publishing group.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kustannusosakeyhtiö Tammi: Finnish trade publisher (Bonnier group) publishing domestic and translated fiction/non-fiction. Overlaps with Bazar in translated international bestsellers and Finnish literary titles.
• Schildts & Söderströms: Finnish-Swedish publisher with domestic and translated titles. Comparable mid-sized trade publisher in the Finnish market with similar genre spread.
• Otava: Finnish general trade publisher operating fiction and non-fiction across print and digital, with similar bestsellers-list ambitions. Direct competitor for Finnish-language author signings and reader attention.
• Gummerus Kustannus: Finnish trade publisher covering fiction, crime, and non-fiction. Directly comparable in catalog mix and target reader, competing for the same Finnish-language audience.

Regional players

• Cappelen Damm: Norway's largest trade publisher covering fiction, crime, and non-fiction. Similar translated-bestseller model and Finnish-equivalent catalog breadth in the Norwegian market.
• Lindhardt og Ringhof: Danish trade publisher with broad fiction and non-fiction catalog. Comparable in translating international bestsellers and developing domestic author franchises.
• Albert Bonniers Förlag: Sweden's largest general trade publisher under Bonniers. Closest Nordic peer in translated-bestseller strategy, though serving Swedish-language readers primarily.
• Gyldendal Norsk Forlag: Major Norwegian trade and literary publisher with comparable translation and domestic author portfolio. Useful regional comparator for genre mix and bestseller economics.

Others

• Storytel: Leading Nordic audiobook/ebook subscription platform that distributes Bazar's digital catalog. A channel partner and adjacent ecosystem player shaping distribution economics for Bazar's titles.
• BookBeat: Audiobook and ebook streaming service (Bonnier group) carrying Bazar's digital catalog. A core distribution channel and adjacent platform whose terms affect Bazar's digital revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@kirjafi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bazar-kustannus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bazar Kustannus