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November Bookstore Sales Off Slightly From Last Year
Printer-friendly versionAfter five consecutive months of gains, retail sales at bookstores turned downward in November. Preliminary data released by the Bureau of the Census shows November 2003 sales at bookstores of $1,041 million, down 2.9 percent from $1,072 million in November 2002.
Despite soft sales in November, 2003 year-to-date sales for bookstores are 2.5 percent better than for the first 11 months of 2002.
Overall retail sales of $316 billion for November 2003 were 5.0 percent ahead of the $301 billion for November of 2002.
The recently released Census Bureau figures also raised estimates for sales in bookstores in October 2003 from $1,064 million to $1,065 million.
|
Period
|
2002 Final (Millions of Dollars)
|
2003 (Millions of Dollars)
|
% Increase 2003 Over 2002
|
| January |
2,039
|
2,094
|
2.7
|
| February |
1,037
|
1,005
|
(3.1)
|
| March |
1,045
|
929
|
(11.1)
|
| April |
969
|
984
|
1.5
|
| May |
1,142
|
1,105
|
(3.2)
|
|
June
|
1,073
|
1,179
|
9.9
|
| July |
1,059
|
1,129
|
6.6
|
| August |
1,825
|
2,083
|
14.1
|
| September |
1,505
|
1,524
|
1.3
|
| October |
1,028
|
1,065
|
3.6
|
| November |
1,072
|
1,041 (p)
|
(2.9)
|
| YTD |
13,794
|
14,138
|
2.5
|
(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.