October 11, 2001 July Book Sales Healthy Bookstore sales in July registered a creditable increase of 4.5 percent over the previous July. Preliminary sales of $1,170 million for July 2001 compared favorably with the $1,120 million performance of July 2000. The increase in July bookstore sales over the previous July, while smaller than the increase shown in June, continued the generally healthy trend in bookstore sales seen recently. This was the 18th month in a row that bookstore sales exceeded sales of the previous year. Preliminary overall retail sales in July, at $290 billion, came in 3.6 percent over the $280 billion in sales recorded the previous July. 2000-2001 RETAIL SALES for BOOKSTORES (unadjusted) Period 2000 Final (Millions of Dollars) 2001 (Millions of Dollars) % Increase 2001 over 2000 January 1,552 1,771 14.1 February 1,133 1,213 7.1 March 1,077 1,214 12.7 April 1,024 1,078 5.3 May 1,166 1,238 6.2 June 1,191 1,251 5.0 July 1,120 1,170 (p) 4.5 YTD 8,263 8,935 8.1 (p) Preliminary figure NOTE: Estimates reflect sales of all types of participating bookstores, including trade, college, religious, chain stores (including superstores), and others. A bookstore is defined as any retail establishment with sales comprised of more than 50 percent new books and periodicals, and estimates include sales of all products in these stores. SPECIAL NOTE: As of March 2001, the Bureau of the Census, Current Retail Trade Branch, began using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) in place of the Standard Industrial Classification System (SIC). The Bureau of the Census has restated the SIC data for monthly sales to a NAICS basis to create an historic series beginning with January 1992 through March 2001. Source: Bureau of the Census, Current Retail Trade Branch. Topics: Industry Statistics, News - Bookselling,