Bookstore sales fell 0.9% in September, compared to same period a year ago, according to a preliminary estimate released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Revenue was $948 million in September, down from $957 million a year ago.
September was the second consecutive month in which bookstore sales fell, compared to 2017, after a string of gains in the late winter through mid-summer. For the first nine months of 2018, bookstore sales were down 0.6%, to $7.63 billion, compared to sales of $7.68 billion in the first nine months of 2017.
Sales for the entire retail segment rose 2.3% in the month over September 2017 and 5.3% in the first nine months of 2018.
