Unit sales of print books fell 8% in the week ended Feb. 16, 2014, compared to week seven of 2013, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. The most dramatic decline came in the adult fiction category, where sales dropped 19%. Adult nonfiction did not have a good week either, with sales down 8% in week seven of 2014, compared to the week ended Feb. 17, 2013. Juvenile fiction—which had a 5% increase in unit sales in the first seven weeks of this year, compared to the same period in 2013—had a small dip in units in the most recent week. The general softness across all categories is reflected in the decline in sales of the top-100 bestsellers, which fell 27% in the week ended Feb. 16, 2014. The mass merchandiser channel had another tough week in week seven, with sales off 13% compared to 2013, and sales for the year to date were down 10%.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel

Feb. 17, 2013 Feb. 16, 2014 % Chge Week % Chge YTD
Total 11,988 11,060 -8% -4%
Mass Merch./Other 2,755 2,407 -13 -10
Retail & Club 9,233 8,653 -6 -2

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category

Feb. 17, 2013 Feb. 16, 2014 % Chge Week % Chge YTD
Adult Nonfiction 4,518 4,134 -8% -3%
Adult Fiction 2,976 2,420 -19 -16
Juvenile Nonfiction 777 801 3 5
Juvenile Fiction 3,178 3,170 -0.2 5

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format

Feb. 17, 2013 Feb. 16, 2014 % Chge Week % Chge YTD
Hardcover 3,085 2,810 -9% -2%
Trade Paperback 6,375 5,963 -6 -3
Mass Market Paperback 1,651 1,347 -18 -12
Board Books 525 556 6 4
Audio 89 88 -1 1

Source: Nielsen BookScan and Publishers Weekly. Nielsen BookScan’s U.S. Consumer Market Panel covers approximately 80% of the print book market and continues to grow.