May Bookstore Sales Up 2%

-- Publishers Weekly, 7/15/2008 6:57:00 AM

Bookstore sales rose again in May, albeit at a much more moderate clip than the surprising 8% rate posted in April. According to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales increased 2.6% in May, to $1.15 billion. Sales for the entire retail segment were up 2.5% in the month. For the first five months of the year bookstore sales were up 4.9%, to $6.60 billion. Sales for all of retail rose 3.5% in the period.