Independent bookstores participating in the Book Sense marketing program reported that total 2002 book sales were slightly ahead of the results for 2001, reflecting the mixed experiences of the entire book industry during 2002.

January 2003 retail sales for bookstores showed signs of life after three months of decline. January bookstore sales of $2,253 million improved 3.0 percent over the $2,188 million of January 2002.

Overall retail sales of $280 billion for January 2003 was 5.7 percent better than the $265 billion of the previous year.

January is the 12th month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep pace with overall retail sales.

Bookstore retail sales for November 2002 continued the downward slide begun in October. November sales of $1,173 million lagged 4.8 percent behind the $1,233 million for November of the previous year.

While not robust, overall retail sales managed to eke out a slight gain. Overall retail sales for November were $303 billion, or 1.7 percent better than the $298 billion of the previous year.

November is the 10th month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep up with overall retail.

Bookstore sales softened in October, coming in at $1,107 million, or 2.9 percent lower than for October of the previous year.

While bookstore sales suffered this modest decline, overall retail sales also dipped. Overall retail of $300 billion for October 2002 was 0.7 percent lower than the $302 billion realized in October of 2001.

October is the ninth month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep up with overall retail.

Bookstore sales in September rebounded from the modest decline in August. September sales were 3.2 percent better than September of 2001.

While the improvement in bookstore sales in September was encouraging, the results once again failed to keep pace with overall retail. Overall retail sales of $285 billion for September 2002 were 5.2 percent better than the $271 billion realized in September of 2001.

September is the eighth month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep up with overall retail.

Books and Gift Certificates Are Noted as Favorite Gift Items

Perhaps the most closely watched yearly retail prognostications are the annual fall estimates for holiday retail sales. This year, analysts are factoring in not only a soft economy but also consumer concern over personal debt levels and anxiety regarding job security.

In September, ABA began work to reintroduce the ABACUS industry study, a proven financial research tool for independent booksellers that offers a wide range of bookselling-specific financial breakdowns and analyses. By integrating the ABACUS data into their business planning, independent booksellers can compare their store's financial performance against detailed industry composites.

August bookstore sales failed to equal last year's unusually strong performance. August 2002 sales were down 4.4 percent from August 2001.

Bookstore sales for the period failed to keep up with overall retail sales. Overall retail sales of $321 billion for August 2002 were 5.2 percent higher than the $305 billion realized in August of 2001.

August is the seventh month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep pace with overall retail.

July bookstore sales managed to scratch out a slight increase over July 2001, coming back into positive territory after June’s slight decrease. July 2002 sales were 1.4 percent ahead of the previous July.

Overall retail sales of $308 billion for July 2002 came in 6.6 percent over the $289 billion realized in July of 2001.

July is the sixth month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep pace with overall retail.

ABA has begun work to reintroduce the ABACUS industry study with the launch of a new, streamlined Web interface for reporting financial data. A popular ABA product in past years, ABACUS has proven to be a vital research tool for booksellers of every size, offering extensive industry-specific financial breakdowns and analyses that enable independent booksellers to compare their own store's performance and financial health to detailed industry composites.