Category % Change March % Change YTD
(Measured in $ sales against same time periods, 2006)* Number of reporting compaines.
Although the U.S. Census Bureau reported earlier this month that bookstore sales were down 4.0% in the first quarter, AAP's monthly sales estimates show the adult hardcover segment posting a healthy 35.5% sales gain in the period, while sales in the children's/YA hardcover category were up 17.3%. Sales in the two adult paperback segments were down for the quarter. Sales in the elhi segment were off in the period, although solid gains for 2007 are expected when state adoptions start kicking in later this year.
Adult Hard (18)* 27.5% 35.5%
Adult Paper (19) 3.2 -1.6
Adult Mass Mkt. (10) -5.8 -6.7
Juvenile Hard (14) -2.2 17.3
Juvenile Paper (15) 13.7 2.7
Audio (12) 33.6 19.0
Electronic (13) 12.0 10.6
Religious (11) -19.8 3.4
Higher Ed. (13) -23.4 13.1
Univ. Pr. Hard (36) 4.8 4.7
Univ. Pr. Paper (36) -3.3 3.5
Professional (9) -3.5 -1.4
Elhi (9) -7.4 -9.8