Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel
| Dec. 16, 2012 | Dec. 15, 2013 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 22,033* | 22,663 | 3% | 4% |
| Mass Merch./Other | 2,739* | 4,009 | 46 | 51 |
| Retail & Club | 19,294 | 18,654 | -3 | -3 |
Unit Sales of Print Books via Retail & Club
| Category | Dec. 16, 2012 | Dec. 15, 2013 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Nonfiction | 8,140 | 7,667 | -6% | -0.9% |
| Adult Fiction | 3,312 | 2,828 | -15 | -12 |
| Juvenile Nonfiction | 1,440 | 1,535 | 6 | 4 |
| Juvenile Fiction | 4,611 | 5,036 | 9 | -1.5 |
| Format | ||||
| Hardcover | 6,780 | 6,746 | -0.5% | -2% |
| Trade Paperback | 9,174 | 8,826 | -4 | -4 |
| Mass Market Paperback | 1,331 | 1,116 | -16 | -9 |
| Board Books | 501 | 609 | 21 | 14 |
| Audio | 182 | 163 | -10 | -6 |
Unit sales of print books fell 3% in Nielsen BookScan’s retail & club channel in the week ended Dec. 15, 2013, compared to week 50 of last year. The first down week in the 2013 holiday period appears to have been due, in part, to bad weather. Snow and ice storms covered large parts of the East Coast over the Dec. 14–15 weekend, and sales in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic regions had the largest sales declines. Total units were down 2% in the Northeast and 8% in the Middle Atlantic in the week, compared to the same period in 2012. Although big names dominated the adult fiction list in week 50, the category had a 15% year-over-year drop in unit sales at outlets that report to BookScan’s retail & club channel. Gains in juvenile fiction were aided by continued strong sales of Hard Luck (187,000 in the week) and the Divergent series, whose three books sold a total of 135,000 copies at outlets that report to BookScan.
