February bookstore sales jumped 9.8%, to $1.14 billion, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The gain was due in part to extremely weak sales in February 2003. Sales for the entire retail segment rose 10.8% in the month. For the first two months of the year, bookstore sales increased 2.6%, to $3.3 billion, while the entire retail segment recorded an 8.4% increase.