The Weekly Scorecard: Tracking Unit Print Sales for Week Ending February 22, 2015

Unit sales of print books fell 5% in the week ended Feb. 22, 2015, compared to the similar week last year, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. It was the first week this year in which year-over-year sales were down. Juvenile nonfiction was the only segment that posted an increase, with units up 2%. There were no new books high on the nonfiction list, and the unit gain was driven by an assortment of Dr. Seuss and Minecraft titles. Sales of all of the top-selling titles, however, fell in week eight compared to week seven. Dr. Seuss titles dominated the juvenile fiction list; the bestselling new title, Duck & Goose Colors, by Tad Hill, landed at #40, selling just under 5,800 copies. The lack of new hits contributed to the 2% decline in unit sales, compared to week eight of 2014. Unit sales of both fiction and nonfiction dropped 5%. The only new book in either segment to have a decent sales showing in the week was The Great Big Pressure Cooker, by Bruce Weinstein, which sold over 11,000 copies in the week ended Feb. 22, 2015—good enough for fourth place on the nonfiction list. In fiction, the top-selling new book was Stormy Persuasion, by Johanna Lindsey, which sold over 7,000 copies, putting it in the 19th spot. The audiobook format was hammered in the week, with units down 23% compared to the similar week last year. For the year to date, audio units fell 13% over the first eight weeks of 2014.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format

Source: Nielsen BookScan and Publishers Weekly. Nielsen BookScan’s U.S. Consumer Market Panel covers approximately 80% of the print book market and continues to grow.