THE WIDELY ANTICIPATED DECEMBER BOOST

FAILED TO MATERIALIZE IN WEEK ONE BOOK SALES 

The first full week of holiday selling for December, 2008, fell by 6.6% according to Nielsen Book Scan. The falloff in unit sales was strongest in adult nonfiction, dropping 20.8% from last year’s figures. Total sales in all categories reached only 20.7 million units compared to last year’s 22.1million. 

Children’s fiction proved the healthiest category. Its units jumped by a little more than 24%. There are still two weeks plus of selling to hopefully turn the tide. Nielsen hasn’t yet reported on this past week and with eight days of last minute selling, books may yet prove to be the great gift item that so many believed it would in this faltering economy. 

Let’s keep out fingers crossed and our promotions heavy. 

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