- Categories:Industry News [2]
November Bookstore Sales Off Slightly From Last Year [3]
After 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.