Unit sales of print books crept up 0.4% in week 11 of 2014, compared to the week ended March 17, 2013, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Sales in the mass market channel continued to drop, though at a slower rate than in past weeks, and the retail & club channel saw a 2% increase. Juvenile fiction continues to pick up steam, and its 11% increase in unit sales over the corresponding week last year can be attributed to the enduring popularity of Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy (unit print sales of the trilogy is up 22% over last week) and the debut of Rush Limbaugh’s second book for kids, Rush Revere and the First Patriots. Adult fiction, however, continued to slide, despite a strong first week for Danielle Steel’s latest, Power Play, which sold about 27,000 copies. Adult nonfiction dropped off slightly, with the top-selling nonfiction title, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, off 41% on the week, down to 13,884 units.
Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel
| Mar. 17, 2013 | Mar. 16, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 10,910 | 10,956 | 0.4% | -3% |
| Mass Merch./Other | 2,285 | 2,189 | -4 | -9 |
| Retail & Club | 8,625 | 8,767 | 2 | -1 |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Category
| Mar. 17, 2013 | Mar. 16, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Nonfiction | 4,154 | 4,095 | -1% | -2% |
| Adult Fiction | 2,615 | 2,374 | -9 | -14 |
| Juvenile Nonfiction | 818 | 824 | 1 | 5 |
| Juvenile Fiction | 2,902 | 3,222 | 11 | 5 |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Format
| Mar. 17, 2013 | Mar. 16, 2014 | % Chge Week | % Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 2,782 | 2,897 | 4% | -1% |
| Trade Paperback | 5,865 | 5,912 | 1 | -2 |
| Mass Market Paperback | 1,476 | 1,319 | -11 | -12 |
| Board Books | 521 | 540 | 4 | 3 |
| Audio | 92 | 106 | 15 | 4 |
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.
