Sales: Glass Half Full
In May, bookstore sales fell and have been down slightly for the year while publishers' sales rose nearly 10%, led by digital- and Internet-related categories: sales of e-books rose 162.8% and downloaded audiobooks climbed 72.9%. General retail sales for
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May bookstore sales slipped 2.6% to $1.1 billion compared to May 2009, according to preliminary estimates from the Census Bureau. For the year to date, total bookstore sales have slipped 0.4% to $6.325 billion.
Total retail sales in May rose 6.5% to $376.1 billion compared to the same period a year ago. For the year, total retail sales were up 6.9% to $1,751 billion.
Note: under Census Bureau definitions, bookstore sales are of new books and do not include "electronic home shopping, mail-order, or direct sale" or used book sales.
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Total publisher net sales during May in the U.S. rose 9.8% to $715.3 million, as reported by 86 publishers to the Association of American Publishers. For the year to date, net sales are up 11.6% to $3.125 billion.
| CATEGORY | SALES | % CHANGE |
| E-books |
$29.3 million | 162.8% |
| Downloaded audiobooks | $5.9 million | $5.9 million |
| Adult hardcover |
$138.5 million | 43.2% |
| University press hardcover | $4.1 million | 13.9% |
| Religious books |
$40.1 million | 8.2% |
| Professional |
$56.9 million | 6.7% |
| Higher education |
$160 million | 6.3% |
| Audiobooks |
$12.9 million | 5.1% |
| University press paperback |
$2.8 million | 4.9% |
| Children's/YA hardcover |
$58.1 million | −1.3% |
| Adult paperback |
$110.7 million | −2.2% |
| Children's/YA paperback: |
$39.9 million | −8.1% |
| Adult mass market: |
$54.6 million | −14.6% |
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General retail sales in the U.S. fell 0.5% in June, according to the
Commerce Department, marking the second straight month of declines.
Sales had dropped 1.1% in May. According to the Wall Street Journal, economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had predicted a 0.3% drop in June.
Positive notes: excluding auto and gas sales, retail sales rose 0.1%, and department store sales were up 1.1%.
The AP (via the New York Times)
commented: "Americans are spending less and that could threaten the
pace of the recovery. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of
economic activity. But consumers have held back because of high
unemployment and other signs that have dampened their confidence, such
as the volatile stock market and a struggling housing market."
