With Easter falling on Mar. 31 in 2013, year-over-year book sales in week 13 of 2014 took a dive (Easter this year isn’t until Apr. 20). Unit sales of print books fell 14% in the week ended Mar. 30, 2014, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan, compared to the similar week last year. The yearly comparisons give a good indication of where consumers shop for Easter books: sales through mass merchandisers tumbled 38% in week 13 of 2014, while sales through the retail & club channel fell a more moderate 5%. Sales of juvenile books, which have been holding up better than the adult segments in 2014, were the hardest hit in the week. Juvenile nonfiction sales fell 26% and fiction 20%, compared to the week ended Mar. 31, 2013. Board books had the largest decline among formats in week 13 of 2014, with sales down 32%, as sales of the top 100 board books dropped 40% compared to the similar week last year.
Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel
| Mar. 31, 2013 | Mar. 30, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12,993 | 11,130 | -14% | -4% |
| Mass Merch./Other | 3,598 | 2,226 | -38 | -12 |
| Retail & Club | 9,395 | 8,903 | -5 | -1 |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Category
| Mar. 31, 2013 | Mar. 30, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Nonfiction | 4,272 | 4,074 | -4% | -2% |
| Adult Fiction | 3,012 | 2,514 | -16 | -14 |
| Juvenile Nonfiction | 1,117 | 822 | -26 | 0 |
| Juvenile Fiction | 4,097 | 3,295 | -20 | 2 |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Format
| Mar. 31, 2013 | Mar. 30, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 3,227 | 2,829 | -12% | -2% |
| Trade Paperback | 6,901 | 6,103 | -12 | -3 |
| Mass Market Paperback | 1,752 | 1,362 | -22 | -13 |
| Board Books | 823 | 555 | -32 | -3 |
| Audio | 96 | 105 | 9 | 5 |
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.
