Sales of Print Books Increased, Slightly, in 2017

Unit sales of print books rose 1.9% in 2017, over 2016, at outlets that report to NDP BookScan, which captures between 80-85% of print sales. Total units sold at outlets that report to the service were 687.2 million, up from 674.1 million in 2016.

The increase follows a 3.3% increase in 2016 over 2015 with units having risen every year since 2013. Since 2013, print unit sales are up 10.8%.

The unit gain was driven by the retail and club channel, where sales rose 3.5% in 2017 over 2016. Units in the channel hit 593.7 million units, compared to 573.8 million units sold in 2016. Sales via the mass merchandisers channel fell 6.7% in the year, dropping to 93.6 million units, down from 100.4 million units in 2016.

Three of the four major formats posted gains in 2017 over 2016. The only segment that saw a decline was adult fiction, where units dropped 0.7%, to 139.2 million. Juvenile nonfiction had the best year with units up 7.8% over 2016, to 59.8 million. Juvenile fiction unit sales increased 2.1% in the year, to 181.7 million. Print unit sales rose 2.9% in the adult nonfiction category over 2016, to 281.6 million.

Board books also had a good year in 2017. Unit sales of the format jumped almost 11% over 2016, to 36.9 million. Hardcover sales rose 3.6%, while unit sales of trade paperbacks increased 1.5% over 2016.

Unit sales of mass market paperbacks fell again in 2017, albeit in smaller drop from the years. The 6.4% decline the format experience was smaller than the 7.7% drop recorded in 2016. Physical audiobook sales also saw a decline in sales; units fell to 3.3 million in 2017, down from 3.8 million, for a decline of 13.3%.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75735-sales-of-print-books-increased-slightly-in-2017.html

Related Posts

USPS Ends Fourth Quarter FY23 with an Average of 2.5 Days to Deliver

FY23 fourth quarter service performance scores covering July 1 through September 29, included: *First-Class Mail: 91.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points from the fiscal third quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.2 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal third quarter. *Periodicals: 86.3 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.6 percentage points from the fiscal third quarter.

US economic toll of East Coast and Gulf port strike could be billions per day

Eric Hoplin, CEO and President of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors warned that American consumers and businesses should expect to "feel the pinch" if the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) decides to move forward. The move would impact ports that handle about half of the nation’s cargo from ships. According to Hoplin, if the ports were to shut down for a single day and remain closed for three to five days, the American economy could take a $3.7 billion hit "every single day." Despite the economic toll the strikes would have, Hoplin suggested that there is some temporary "good news."

3 Gannett Newspapers In New Jersey Vote To Unionize (mediapost.com)

Three Gannett newspapers in New Jersey — Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune and Courier News — have unionized with the NewGuild of New York, the union announced last week. “Our newsrooms have served our communities for over a century, and by forming the APP-MCJ Guild, we are ensuring our journalists are given the necessary means to serve for the next 100 years,” states Ryan Ross, on-air host and visual journalist for the Asbury Park Press. “We respect the right of employees at Asbury Park Press, the Courier News and the Home News Tribune to make a fully informed choice for themselves whether to unionize or not to unionize,” says Thomas C. Zipfel, Gannett's labor relations counsel.
Back To Top
×Close search
Search