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July Bookstore Sales Inch Ahead
Printer-friendly versionPreliminary figures recently released by the Bureau of the Census, Current Retail Trade Branch put July retail sales at bookstores slightly ahead of the same period last year. July sales of $1,138 million were just 0.9 percent higher than July 2004. While not a significant increase, this is only the second time this year that monthly sales out paced the previous year's performance. Year-to-date sales at bookstores are down 3.2 percent.
Overall retail sales remain strong and continue to outperform bookstore sales. Overall retail sales of $361 billion for July 2005 were 8.4 percent ahead of the $333 billion reported in July 2004.
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2004-2005 RETAIL SALES for BOOKSTORE
(unadjusted) |
| Period |
2004 Final |
2005 (Millions of Dollars) |
% Change 2005 over 2004 |
| January | 2,070 |
1,969 |
(4.9) |
| February | 1,072 | 1,027 | (4.2) |
| March | 1,036 |
1,038 |
0.2 |
| April | 987 | 940 | (4.8) |
| May | 1,071 | 1,055 | (1.5) |
| June | 1,159 | 1,084 | (6.5) |
| July | 1,128 | 1,138(p) | 0.9 |
| YTD | 8,523 |
8,251 |
(3.2) |
(p) Preliminary figure
Note: Estimates reflect sales of all types of participating bookstore, 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.