Bookstore Sales Dip Slightly in January

Posted Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

January 2004 bookstore sales were down a bit from January 2003, thus interrupting the generally upward trend of the previous seven months. January bookstore sales of $2,069 million declined 1.2 percent from the $2,094 million for January 2003.

Bookstore sales for January also failed to keep pace with overall retail, which improved over January 2003. Overall retail sales of $296 billion for January 2004 was 6.1 percent better than the $279 billion for the previous year.

2003-2004 RETAIL SALES for BOOKSTORES (unadjusted)

Period
2003 Final
(Millions of Dollars)
2004
(Millions of Dollars)
% Increase
2004 Over 2003
January
2,094
2,069 (p)
(1.2)
YTD
2,094
2,069
(1.2)

(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.

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