After Eight-Year Slump, 2015 Bookstore Sales Rise
Bookstores sales rose 2.5% in 2015, marking the first time since 2007 that sales in the sector were up. Preliminary figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week show that total bookstore sales for the year hit $11.17 billion; last year they topped out at $10.89 billion. Even with the strong bookstore sales numbers, the sector is still far off from its earlier high point; in 2007 bookstore sales were more than $17 billion.
Disney Publishing Taps Naples As Top Exec
Disney Publishing Worldwide last week named Mary Ann Naples v-p and publisher of its Disney Book Group. Naples, who arrives at Disney from Rodale, is being succeeded at her old job by Gail Gonzales.
Gonzales had been v-p and associate publisher at the house.
HBG Rebounds In Q4
A 15% increase in fourth-quarter sales allowed Hachette Book Group to finish 2015 with only a slight year-over-year decline in revenue (0.3%). The publisher said the fourth-quarter sales jump was driven by a strong publishing lineup, led by See Me by Nicholas Sparks. HBG also reported that an increase in sales of print books nearly offset declines in the house’s e-book sales; sales of digital titles accounted for 22% of HBG’s overall sales last year, down from 26% in 2014.
