Early Signs Point to Solid Holiday Gains

After two years of disappointing results, early indications are that books posted solid sales gains during the 2003 holiday season. Independent booksellers contacted by PW reported sales among the best ever, justifying the optimism that many booksellers have expressed since the spring. In addition to the positive news from the independents, Visa reported that between November 28 and December 26, bookstore transactions using its charge cards rose 25%, to 30.6 million, and sales in the same period went up 20%, to $1.25 billion. And while the bookstore chain numbers won't be available until later in January, unit sales of the top-selling titles at Borders and B&N in the five weeks before Christmas jumped 60% over the same period in 2002.

Mitch Kaplan, owner of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Fla., called it "our best Christmas yet." He attributed the stellar results to several factors: a signing by Hillary Clinton on December 19 at which 900 copies of Living History were sold; a healthy increase in tourists to the Miami area; and the popularity of high-end art and design books. Like other booksellers, he reported gift card sales had increased. "We introduced the Book Sense card to our customers this year and did very, very well with it," Kaplan commented.

In addition to having a late season, booksellers noted strong sales the Friday and Saturday after Christmas, some respondents said. Tony Mize, manager of the Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville, Tenn., called the two days after Christmas "very busy," partly because of a big jump in gift sales. "That business has been on the upswing for three years now, but this Christmas it really took off, which I think largely accounts for why we were so busy on Friday and Saturday."

At Newtonville Books in Newtonville, Mass., sales for the season were up about 5%, owner Tim Huggins estimated—and this during a year when sales had been down 5%. The sales gain at Bound to Read in Albuquerque, N.Mex., was all the more striking because a Borders opened "up the street" in July, said general manager Margaret Shumaker. Business was strong in November and December, and "there was no one book that everyone had to have this year. People were buying everything."

Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pa., finished this Christmas "up 6%" and had a "robust" December 26, according to co-owner Mary Alice Gorman. Sales at Valley Booksellers, Stillwater, Minn., were up from last year, and many customers waited until the last minute to shop. "Christmas Eve was incredible," bookseller Joci Tilsen said. "It was a mad rush." While manager Susan Capaldi reported sales at McLean & Eakin in Petoskey, Mich., were "about the same as last year," at the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colo., sales this season were "strong," manager Matt Miller said.