Industry Statistics

A substantial majority of independent bookstores participating in the Book Sense national marketing program saw sales increases in 2001 over 2000, according to a recent ABA survey. Among those stores in the Book Sense program responding to the survey, 63 percent reported sales increases for the year. Over half of the stores noted increases of more than five percent. For the 2001 holiday season, 66 percent of the bookstores reported increases over a strong 2000 holiday season.

Bucking an uncertain economy, bookstore sales for December closed out the year 2001 on a strong note. Preliminary December sales of $2,291 million were 9.6 percent ahead of the $2,090 million sales for December of 2000. Bookstore sales continued to outperform overall retail. Preliminary overall retail sales of $339 billion amounted to a slim 3.0 percent gain for December over the $329 billion in sales recorded the previous December.

Bookstore sales in November remained resilient in the face of difficult economic conditions, registering a 5.9 percent increase over the previous November. Preliminary sales of $1,282 million for November 2001 compared favorably with the $1,211 million performance of November 2000. November bookstore sales outperformed overall retail for the same period. Preliminary overall November retail sales of $299 billion were 4.9 percent better than the $285 billion in sales recorded the previous November.

Bookstore sales for October reflected healthy growth in a period of economic uncertainty, exceeding sales for the previous October by a solid 6.8 percent. Preliminary sales of $1,187 million for October 2001 compared favorably with the $1,111 million performance of October 2000.

Considering the events of September 11, bookstore sales in September must be considered quite respectable, as they managed to exceed sales for the previous September by 6.7 percent. Preliminary sales of $1,621 million for September 2001 compared favorably with the $1,519 million performance of September 2000.