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Bookstore Sales Remain Soft in December
Printer-friendly versionRetail sales for bookstores for December 2002 continued the decline that started last October. December bookstore sales of $2,160 million fell 1.7 percent behind the $2,197 million of December 2001.
By contrast, overall retail sales experienced a modest increase. Overall retail sales for December of $351 billion was 4.2 percent better than the $337 billion of the previous year.
December is the 11th month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep up with overall retail sales.
|
Period
|
2001 Final (Millions of Dollars)
|
2002 (Millions of Dollars)
|
% Increase 2002 Over 2001
|
| January |
1,698
|
2,188
|
28.9
|
| February |
1,163
|
1,117
|
(4.0)
|
| March |
1,165
|
1,126
|
(3.3)
|
| April |
1,034
|
1,043
|
0.9
|
| May |
1,188
|
1,229
|
3.5
|
| June |
1,201
|
1,156
|
(3.7)
|
| July |
1,124
|
1,140
|
1.4
|
| August |
2,035
|
1,965
|
(3.4)
|
| September |
1,570
|
1,620
|
3.2
|
| October |
1,140
|
1,107
|
(2.9)
|
| November |
1,232
|
1,155
|
(6.3)
|
| December |
2,197
|
2,160(p)
|
(1.7)
|
| YTD |
16,747
|
17,006
|
1.5
|
(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.