Total sales at Lagardere Publishing rose slightly in the first quarter, up to 394 million euros from 390 million euros. Sales were driven by a 2.8% increase in revenue at Hachette Book Group plus a 4.8% increase in illustrated books that helped to offset declines in France (-3.5%) and Spain (-11.6%). In the U.S., digital sales rose 32% in the quarter and e-books accounted for 28% of adult revenues in the period, up from 22% in the comparable period in 2011. HBG had 95 titles hit the bestsellers lists in the quarter compared to 75 in the 2011 first quarter.
Worldwide, e-book sales grew rapidly in most areas, most notably in the U.K where they now account for 25% of adult trade sales. For all of Lagardere Publishing, e-books represented 9% of sales.
