Bookstore sales, which had been running close to even with 2012 through the first five months of 2013, tumbled 9.5% in June. According to preliminary estimates released Tuesday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau, bookstore sales in June dropped 9.5%, to $829 million from $916 million in June 2012. Bookstore sales for the first half of 2013 were down a much less severe 1.5% to $6.06 billion

For the entire retail segment, June sales were up 4.0% and six month sales rose 3.6%.