News & Publishing Juno Editor/Paula Guran on 18 Dec 2009 12:45 pm
Book Sales Stats: Apples and Oranges?
According to preliminary estimates released October 11 by the U.S. Census Bureau to Publishers Weekly, bookstore sales dropped 0.9%, to $1.03 billion in October. For the first nine months of the year, bookstore sales were down 0.7%, to $13.56 billion. Sales fell for the entire retail segment in October, although the 2.3% was the smallest drop in three months. For the first nine months of 2009, retail sales were off 8.2%. (Under Census Bureau definitions, bookstore sales are of new books only and do not include “electronic home shopping, mail-order, or direct sale” or used book sales.)
However, now (reported by Shelf Awareness) the Association of American Publishers is reporting net book sales rose 10.2% in October, to $725.8 million, with net book sales up 4.1%. Publisher numbers for e-books were particularly noteworthy, with October sales of $18.5 million, compared to $5.2 million in 2008. Year-to-date ebook sales (January-October 2009) reached $130.7 million, a 180.7% increase compared to $46.6 million for the same period last year. According to AAP, trade market e-books currently account for 3% of total trade sales. (AAP’s figures are “as reported by 89 publishers to the Association of American Publishers.”)
Meanwhile Bookscan reports overall book sales for the year so far:
Week 50 2008: 698,549,000
Week 50 2008: 716,514,000
(Nielsen BookScan’s US Consumer Market Panel currently covers approximately 75% of retail sales. Data does not include sales from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, BJ’s, or libraries.)
on 22 Dec 2009 at 5:46 pm 1.One and a Half Weeks of Links 12-22-2009 – Grasping for the Wind said …
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