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June Bookstore Sales Show Slight Gain
Printer-friendly versionIn a month featuring the release of two new blockbusters, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's Living History, and the first pick of Oprah's revived book club -- East of Eden, bookstore sales came in slightly ahead of last year's figure. June is the first month this year to show a gain over 2002.
Retail sales in bookstores in June of $1,178 million were 1.9 percent better than last June’s $1,156 million.
Overall retail sales of $315 billion for June 2003 were 4.3 percent ahead of the $302 billion for the previous year. June is the 17th month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep pace with overall retail.
|
Period
|
2002 Final (Millions of Dollars)
|
2003 (Millions of Dollars)
|
% Increase 2003 Over 2002
|
| January |
2,188
|
2,094
|
(4.3)
|
| February |
1,117
|
1,005
|
(10.0)
|
| March |
1,126
|
929
|
(17.5)
|
| April |
1,043
|
984
|
(5.7)
|
| May |
1,229
|
1,105
|
(10.0)
|
|
June
|
1,156
|
1,178 (p)
|
1.9
|
| YTD |
7,859
|
7,295
|
(7.2)
|
(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.