Bookstore sales fell 3.7% in August to $1.32 billion, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The August report marked the first time this year that bookstore sales fell compared to the same month in 1998 and was in stark contrast to the 10.9% gain recorded by the entire retail sector. For the first eight months of the year, bookstore sales rose 3.5% to $8.5 billion, while sales were up 8.6% for all retail.