Sales Mixed in October

Reports from the major bookstore chains of sluggish sales of bestsellers in the most recent quarter were reflected in the AAP monthly sales estimates, which show a 17.1% decline in the adult hardcover segment in October. Sales also dipped in children's paperback in October, but the other trade segments posted gains in the month. The biggest October surprise was in the religious book segment, where sales dropped 28.2%. Still, the segment had a 14.1% sales increase for the first 10 months of the year, the best among all print segments. The elhi segment had its second consecutive good month, with sales in October up 13.5% due to a combination of a 12.5% increase in basal sales and a 16.5% gain in supplementary sales. In the college segment, returns outpaced gross sales.