Harry Potter to the Rescue: Yearlong Bookstore Sales Slide Ends

Posted Monday, Sep 17, 2007

The retail sales slump at bookstores came to halt in July. Preliminary figures recently released by the Bureau of the Census show an increase in retail sales at bookstores in July 2007 of 7.3 percent as compared to July 2006. Spurred by sales of the seventh and final title in the Harry Potter series, the July figures represent the first time in a year that book sales outpaced the previous year's results.

July 2007 bookstore sales are estimated at $1,189 million, compared to sales for the previous July of $1,108 million.

Overall total retail and food service sales were also up in July. Retail sales were $378 billion in July 2007 as compared to $365 billion in July 2006, an increase of 3.6 percent.

Period

2006 Final
(Millions of Dollars)

2007
(Millions of Dollars)

% Change
2007 over 2006

January

2,206

2,175

-1.4

February

1,082

1,013

-6.4

March

1,071

999

-6.7

April

967

908

-6.1

May

1,150

1,104

-4.0

June

1,210

1,130

-6.6

July

1,108

1,189 (p)

7.3

YTD

8,794

8,518 (p)

-3.1

(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.

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