The Mass Merchandiser Channel Helps Lift Unit Sales 1%

At outlets that report to NPD BookScan, unit sales of print books were 1% higher in the week ended Nov. 5, 2017, than in the comparable week in 2016. In a rare occurrence this year, sales through the mass merchandiser channel posted an increase in the week, with units 4% higher than in the week ended Nov. 6, 2016. However, for the first 44 weeks of 2017 overall, unit sales through the channel were 8% lower than in the same period in 2016. The adult nonfiction segment had the strongest performance among the major book categories, with units up 6% from the similar week in 2016. The increase came despite little movement among the top sellers: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! by Ree Drummond remained #1 on the category bestseller list with more than 47,000 copies sold. The bestselling debut was Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit by Chris Matthews, which sold more than 22,000 copies to land in the fifth spot in the category. Print units were 3% higher in the juvenile nonfiction category than in the comparable week last year, despite no new books turning in a strong debut. Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic by the British Library remained the #1 seller in the category, with more than 18,000 copies sold. Super Sticky Activity by Dawn Machell had a good week, jumping from #20 to #4 on the category bestseller list. Print unit sales in the juvenile fiction segment rose 1%, and Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Dork Diaries 12 by Rachel Renee Russell swapped positions on the category list, with Wonder selling more than 27,000 copies to claim the top spot and Dork slipping to second with less than 23,000 copies sold. Units of adult fiction were down 3% from the similar week in 2016. John Grisham’s Rooster Bar stayed in the top spot on the category bestseller list with more than 73,000 copies sold.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format (in thousands)