Bookstore Sales Up 11% in March

Bookstores continue to post solid numbers in the early part of 2004 compared to the weak sales of 2003. According to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales jumped 11.7% in March, to $1.08 billion. The March increase, which was better than the 10.2% gain posted for the entire retail sector, followed a 9.8% increase in February. For the first three months of the year, bookstore sales were up 4.7%, to $4.37 billion; sales for all of retail increased 9.2%.