Unit sales of print books at outlets that report to NPD BookScan inched ahead 0.6% in the week ended Feb. 26, 2017, compared to the similar week in 2016. The increase was led by the adult segments, in which both the fiction and nonfiction categories posted 2% gains from the week ended Feb. 28, 2016. The gain in the adult nonfiction category was helped by the release of The Legend of Zelda: Arts and Artifacts, which sold nearly 29,000 copies, making it the category’s top seller. Another book that had a good week was the long-running bestseller by Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey, which sold more than 17,000 copies, moving it into third place on the category list. In its first week on sale, Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas sold more than 17,000 copies in mass market paperback, landing it in second place on the adult fiction bestseller list. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman jumped up one spot in the week to #1, selling more 21,000 copies. Sales of George Orwell’s 1984 continued to rise, putting the novel in fourth place on the category list with more 16,000 copies sold. Unit sales in both the juvenile fiction and nonfiction categories fell 2% in the week from the equivalent week in 2016. Dr. Seuss titles continued to dominate the juvenile fiction bestseller list; Green Eggs and Ham remained #1 with more than 20,000 copies sold. The only real movement on the juvenile nonfiction bestseller list was of Animals, whose sales rose 61% from the prior week and put it in fifth place on the category bestseller list, with almost 6,000 copies sold.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel

Feb. 28, 2016 Feb. 26, 2017 Chge Week Chge YTD
Total 11,631 11,707 0.6% 1%
Mass Merch./Other 2,061 1,753 -12% -15%
Retail & Club 9,570 9,955 2% 4%

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category

Feb. 28, 2016 Feb. 26, 2017 Chge Week Chge YTD
Adult Nonfiction 4,748 4,835 2% 0.6%
Adult Fiction 2,424 2,485 2% 1%
Juvenile Nonfiction 989 971 -2% -2%
Juvenile Fiction 3,121 3,054 -2% -3%

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format

Feb. 28, 2016 Feb. 26, 2017 Chge Week Chge YTD
Hardcover 3,046 3,160 -4% 1%
Trade Paperback 6,396 6,530 -2% -0.6%
Mass Market Paperback 1,184 1,033 -12% -8%
Board Books 720 674 -6% 3%
Audio 60 62 3% -3%