Unit sales of print books rose 2% in the week ended Aug. 28, 2016, compared to the similar week last year, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. The adult nonfiction category had the biggest unit increase, up 5% over the week ended Aug. 30, 2015. Through August 2016, unit sales in the adult nonfiction segment were up a solid 10% over the comparable period last year. For the week ended Aug. 28, 2016, Amy Schumer’s The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo remained in first place on the adult nonfiction bestseller list, selling more than 30,000 copies in its second week. Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst sold just over 19,000 in its third week on sale, putting it in the second spot on the category list. Unit sales in juvenile nonfiction increased 3% in the week, with the same two books topping the category list as in the prior week: First 100 Words by Roger Priddy took the #1 spot with more than 8,400 copies sold and Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook was #2 with more than 7,800 copies sold. Even though J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child sold almost 150,000 copies in the week, sales in the juvenile fiction segment rose just 1% over 2015. In addition to Cursed Child, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs had a good week, with the trade paperback at #2 on the juvenile fiction list, selling more than 13,400 copies, and the movie tie-in edition coming in at #4, selling more than 10,700 copies. The movie based on the book is due out this fall. Unit sales fell 4% in the adult fiction category. Paula Hawkins had two of the top three bestselling adult fiction books in the week. The trade paperback edition of The Girl on the Train sold just over 40,000 copies, making it #1, while the movie tie-in edition was #3, selling about 19,000 copies.
Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel
| Aug 30, 2015 | Aug 28, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12,546 | 12,792 | 2% | 5% |
| Mass Merch./Other | 1,778 | 1,568 | -12% | -4% |
| Retail & Club | 10,768 | 11,225 | 4% | 7% |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Category
| Aug 30, 2015 | Aug 28, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Nonfiction | 5,568 | 5,873 | 5% | 10% |
| Adult Fiction | 2,774 | 2,675 | -4% | -2% |
| Juvenile Nonfiction | 901 | 930 | 3% | 6% |
| Juvenile Fiction | 2,883 | 2,919 | 1% | 4% |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Format
| Aug 30, 2015 | Aug 28, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 2,756 | 2,922 | 6% | 7% |
| Trade Paperback | 7,644 | 7,845 | 3% | 7% |
| Mass Market Paperback | 1,304 | 1,155 | -11% | -8% |
| Board Books | 479 | 485 | 1% | 10% |
| Audio | 79 | 72 | -9% | -13% |
*Totals for 2016 include units sold through Family Christian Stores. No sales through Family Christian are included in 2015.
