March Bookstore Sales Fell 4%

Bookstore sales fell for the second consecutive month in March with sales declining 4.5%, to $1.11 billion, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Sales for the entire retail segment were up 2.6% in March over March 2001. The bureau revised February bookstore sales upward, to $1.12 billion, a move that cut the decline in the month from 8.3% to 4%, compared to February 2001. For the first quarter of the year, bookstore sales were up 9.7%, to $4.42 billion, while sales for all of retail increased 2.9%.