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Bookstores Experience Lackluster Sales in September
Printer-friendly versionBookstore sales in September continued the downward slide that began in April. Sales have been lower than last year’s sales for six straight months now. September 2004 bookstore sales of $1,526 million were 3.8 percent below the $1,586 recorded in September 2003.
Overall retail sales continue to outperform bookstore sales. Overall retail sales of $332 billion for September 2004 were 8.1 percent better than the $307 billion reported in September 2003.
Year-to-date bookstore sales for the first three quarters of 2004 are a half-percent below the same period last year.
|
Period
|
2003 Final
(Millions of Dollars) |
2004
(Millions of Dollars) |
% Increase
2004 Over 2003 |
|
January
|
2,172
|
2,153
|
(0.9)
|
|
February
|
1,043
|
1,144
|
9.7
|
|
March
|
963
|
1,067
|
10.8
|
|
April
|
1,018
|
1,016
|
(0.2)
|
|
May
|
1,143
|
1,097
|
(4.0)
|
|
June
|
1,222
|
1,191
|
(2.5)
|
|
July
|
1,175
|
1,154
|
(1.8)
|
|
August
|
2,167
|
2,080
|
(4.0)
|
|
September
|
1,586
|
1,526 (p)
|
(3.8)
|
|
YTD
|
12,489
|
12,428
|
(0.5)
|
(p) Preliminary figure
Note: Estimates reflect sales of all types of participating bookstores, including trade, college, religious, chain stores (including superstores), and others. A bookstore is defined as any retail establishment with sales comprised of more than 50 percent new books and periodicals, and estimates include sales of all products in these stores.
Source: Bureau of the Census, Current Retail Trade Branch.