Bookstore sales continued their 2021 rebound in August, one of the biggest months for bookstores annually with schools and colleges beginning to reopen. According to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, August sales jumped 60.1% over 2020, rising to $1.23 billion from $770 million a year ago. In 2019, August sales were $1.12 billion.
The strong August number continues a string of high double-digit sales increases for bookstores. For the first eight months of the year, bookstore sales were up 39.5% over the comparable period in 2020. Sales in the most recent period were $5.62 billion compared to $4.03 billion in the first eight months of 2020.
Sales for all of retail rose 15.7% in August over August 2020 and increased 21% in the year to date.
