Sales Mixed in April

Category % Change April % Change YTD
(Measured in $ sales against same time periods, 2000)
Although six categories had a sales decline and six had a sales gain, April was one of the better months for the industry early in 2001, according to AAP's monthly sales estimates. The children's hardcover segment had the largest gain this April compared to April 2000, with sales up 22.1%. The adult hardcover category had an 11.2% increase, continuing a turnaround that began in March, although sales for the first four months of the year were still 17.6% behind the comparable 2000 period. The university press segment had a particularly rough April, with sales off 22.9% in hardcover and 28.8% in paperback, and for the second month in a row returns exceeded gross sales in the college category. With the exception of children's paperback, where returns jumped 87.1%, returns were largely kept in check in April, declining in six segments compared to last April. Still, for the year-to-date, eight of the 13 segments had a sales decline compared to 2000.
Adult Hardcover 11.2 -17.6
Adult Paperback -0.9 -0.3
Juvenile Hardcover 22.1 13.2
Juvenile Paperback -7.1 13.5
Audio Books 11.6 -6.3
Univ. Pr. Hardcover -22.9 -2.3
Univ. Pr. Paperback -28.8 -9.4
Mass Market Paperback -4.2 13.1
Book Club 7.4 15.6
Mail Order 0.3 -15.4
Professional -22.4 -14.1
College Texts N/M -1.3
School Texts 17.3 10.2