October bookstore sales of $979 million were down 5.1% from $1.032
billion in the same period a year ago, according to preliminary
estimates from the Census Bureau.
This marked the seventh month of the year that bookstore sales in a particular month were lower than the same month a year earlier.
For the year to date, bookstore sales are $12.759 billion, down 2.5% from $13.091 billion in the first 10 months of 2004.
By contrast, general retail sales in October rose 6% to $310.378 billion and for the year to date, general retail sales were $3.077 trillion, up 7.5%.
This marked the seventh month of the year that bookstore sales in a particular month were lower than the same month a year earlier.
For the year to date, bookstore sales are $12.759 billion, down 2.5% from $13.091 billion in the first 10 months of 2004.
By contrast, general retail sales in October rose 6% to $310.378 billion and for the year to date, general retail sales were $3.077 trillion, up 7.5%.