Bookstore Sales Up 43% in November, Up 39.8% Year to Date

In November, bookstore sales jumped 43%, to $709 million, compared to November 2020, according to preliminary Census Bureau estimates. Last November was the eighth full month that reflected severe measures taken in the U.S. to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which included widespread lockdowns. By comparison to pre-pandemic times, sales this past November rose 10.8% compared to November 2019.

For the first 11 months of 2021, bookstore sales are up 39.8%, to $7.8 billion.

Total retail sales in November rose 19.6%, to $650 billion. So far in 2021, total retail sales rose 19.6%, to $6.7 trillion.

Note: under Census Bureau definitions, the bookstore category consists of "establishments primarily engaged in retailing new books." The Bureau also added this unusual caution concerning the effect of Covid-19: "The Census Bureau continues to monitor response and data quality and has determined that estimates in this release meet publication standards."

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