Industry News

18 Dec

ABA Book Buyer's Handbook Update - 12/18/02

Here is an outline of the most recent changes to the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online.

Publishers can update their online listings and add special offers at any time using the Publisher Editing Tools at http://handbook.bookweb.org/pubhome.jsp. Questions about access to the editing features of the Handbook online should be e-mailed to [email protected] or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 1263 or 1261.

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18 Dec

Gift Certificates: Better to Give and to Receive

Anyone with doubts as to the popularity of gift certificates and books among holiday shoppers should check out the 2002 American Express Retail Index (AERI) on holiday shopping. According to AERI, gift certificates and books rank in the top five of items consumers plan to give or hope to receive this holiday season.

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16 Dec

Still No Word on Whether Supreme Court Will Hear Nike Case

Contrary to expectations, the U.S. Supreme Court did not announce on Monday, December 16, whether it will hear Nike v. Kasky. The case did not appear on the day's order list, and now it is expected that the Supreme Court will announce its decision on or after January 13.

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13 Dec

Bookstore Sales Slip in October

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.

2001-2002 RETAIL SALES for BOOKSTORES (unadjusted)

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12 Dec

Study Reports Chains Contribute Less to Local Economy

On December 10, Austin-based Liveable City, a local nonprofit group, released an economic study claiming that local merchants contribute significantly more money to the local economy than do retail chains. Steve Bercu, owner of Austin's BookPeople, told BTW that the study proves what local retailers have known all along through anecdotal evidence. "We knew that chain stores impacted the local economy in a negative way," he said.

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12 Dec

NPR Showcases Independent Booksellers' Holiday Picks

As listeners of National Public Radio's Morning Edition finished breakfast, drove to work, or settled into the first tasks of the day on December 12, they heard the voice of independent bookseller Nancy Olson of Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh, North Carolina, telling them that "there are so many good books this season….

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12 Dec

New Canaan Welcomes New Bookstore on Elm Street

Farley Kern, an owner and founder of Elm Street Books in New Canaan, Connecticut, must not waste much time sleeping or eating. Otherwise, she and her staff could not possibly have started up a brand new bookstore, directly across from the town's train station, in a mere seven weeks.

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11 Dec

BookSense.com Welcomes More New Member Stores

Though BookSense.com ended its free trial at the end of September, a large percentage of trial participants are continuing with the BookSense.com program. Since October 31, when BTW reported that BookSense.com had welcomed 20 new member bookstores to the fold, another 19 bookstores that participated in the BookSense.com free trial officially joined the BookSense.com program.

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11 Dec

ABFFE and Media Groups Support Nike's First Amendment Rights

On Monday, December 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will announce whether it will hear a case that a group of prominent media and free expression organizations, including the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), believe has serious First Amendment implications.

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11 Dec

ABA Book Buyer's Handbook Update - 12/11/02

Here is an outline of the most recent changes to the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online.

Publishers with questions about access to the editing features of the Handbook online should send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 1263 or 1261.

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09 Dec

Tablet PC Digital Publishing Conference: Has eBooks' Time Finally Come?

On Thursday, December 5, a mix of media professionals, software developers, and book, magazine, and periodical publishers braved a snowstorm to attend Open eBook Forum's "Tablet PC Digital Publishing Conference," held at the McGraw-Hill Auditorium in New York City. The wintry weather did nothing to cool participating speakers' enthusiasm for the future of digital newspapers, magazines, and books.

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05 Dec

Many Booksellers Report a Gratifying Start to the Holiday Season

As the retail analysts tussled over whether this year's holiday sales would be robust or merely routine, shoppers nationwide headed off to superstores, malls, main streets, and shopping centers, giving the shopping season a very positive start. Overall, retail sales for Black Friday were estimated at $7.4 billion, a 12.3 percent jump over 2001, according to ShopperTrak RCT.

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05 Dec

Bestseller Lists in the Media -- November 2002

During the month of November, the following media outlets joined the ranks of those running one of the Book Sense Bestseller lists.

Newspapers:

Greenwood, MS - Greenwood Commonwealth (National list)

St. Croix Valley, MN - St. Croix Valley Press (Midwest list)

Web Sites:

www.madison.com (National list)

Newsletters:

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About ABA

The American Booksellers Association, a national not-for-profit trade organization, works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.

Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.

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