The Weekly Scorecard: Tracking Unit Print Sales for Week Ending August 24, 2014

Unit sales of print books inched up 0.4% for the week ended Aug. 24, 2014, compared to the similar week last year, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Even though the increase was less than 1%, week 34 was the seventh consecutive week in which unit sales rose year over year. The sales pattern was a familiar one, with gains in the retail & club channel offsetting declines in the mass merchandiser channel, while double-digit increases in the juvenile categories countered a drop-off in the adult segments. The juvenile nonfiction category had the best performance in the week, with sales up 16%, as the category benefitted from yet another new Minecraft title. Minecraft: Combat Handbook sold almost 7,500 copies in its first week. Two other Minecraft books held the first and second spots in the week, and the three titles combined to sell about 35,000 copies. The juvenile fiction segment received a boost from the new Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods sold just under 26,000 units.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format

Source: Nielsen BookScan and Publishers Weekly. Nielsen BookScan’s U.S. Consumer Market Panel covers approximately 80% of the print book market and continues to grow.