October Bookstore Sales Up

October was a good month for retail, including bookstores: for the fourth consecutive month, retail sales at bookstores exceeded last year's results. Preliminary figures recently released by the Bureau of the Census show an increase in bookstore sales in October 2007 of 8.0 percent compared to October 2006.

October 2007 bookstore sales are estimated at $1,105 million, compared to sales of $1,023 million for the same period last year. With the addition of the October figures, retail sales at bookstores over the first 10 months of 2007 outpaced last year's 10-month total, by 0.3 percent. This is the first time this year that combined monthly sales outpaced the previous year's totals.

Overall total retail and food service sales were also up in October. Retail sales were $374.7 billion in October 2007, compared to $352.3 billion in October 2006, an increase of 6.4 percent.

(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.