- Categories:
October Bookstore Sales Continue Downward Trend
October bookstore sales continued the downward slide that began in the spring. Sales have now been lower than last year's for seven straight months. October 2004 bookstore sales of $1,056 million were 4.8 percent below the $1,109 million recorded in October 2003.
Overall retail sales continue to outperform bookstore sales. Overall retail sales of $338 billion for October 2004 were 6.3 percent better than the $318 billion reported in October 2003.
Year-to-date bookstore sales for the first three quarters of 2004 are nearly one 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
|
(3.8)
|
October
|
1,109
|
1,056 (p)
|
(4.8)
|
YTD
|
13,598
|
13,484
|
(0.8)
|
(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.