Bookstore sales for the first six months of 2014 were down 7.9% compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates released Wednesday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sales were $5.10 billion in the first half of 2014, down from $5.54 billion last year. The decline included a 7.5% drop in June bookstore sales, to $703 million. Bookstore sales fell every month in the first half of 2014.
For the entire retail sector, sales were up 3.6% in the six month period and rose 4.2% in June.
