Bookstore Sales Off Slightly in November

Posted Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005

Bookstore sales for November fell marginally below November 2003 levels. This marked the eighth month in a row that they failed to equal the performance of 2003, although the November decline was less than that of recent months.

November 2004 bookstore sales of $1,069 million were 1.9 percent below the $1,090 of November 2003.

Overall retail sales continued to outperform bookstore sales. Overall retail sales of $342 billion for November 2004 were 8.9 percent better than the $314 billion reported in November 2003.

Year-to-date bookstore sales through the first 11 months of 2004 are nearly one percent below the same period in 2003.

2003-2004 RETAIL SALES for BOOKSTORES (unadjusted)

Period
2003 Final
(Millions of Dollars)
2004
(Millions of Dollars)
% Increase
2004 Over 2003
January
2,172
2,153
(0.9)
February
1,043
1,144
9.7
March
963
1,067
10.8
April
1,018
1,016
(0.2)
May
1,143
1,097
(4.0)
June
1,222
1,191
(2.5)
July
1,175
1,154
(1.8)
August
2,167
2,080
(4.0)
September
1,586
1,526
(3.8)
October
1,109
1,063
(4.1)
November
1,090
1,069 (p)
(1.9)
YTD
14,688
14,560
(0.9)

(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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