Self-Improvement Boom Sets Book Sales Off on Fast Start in 2021 (publishersweekly.com)

On November 17th, the ACMA cleared a major hurdle in its complaint in the Superior Court in San Francisco that a previously-issued California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) regulation in the form of a technical advisory memorandum wrongly and substantially expanded the reach of income taxes on out-of-state merchants with no physical presence in the Golden State. The Superior Court of California County of San Francisco overruled the FTB's demurrer to ACMA's complaint for declaratory relief. “This is a significant and positive development in our case,” said ACMA CEO Hamilton Davison. “Although we still have aways to go, we now have a clear path to obtain a decision on the merits.” For more information, please visit www.catalogmailers.org.

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) is bringing back its industry event Book Manufacturing Mastered. The 2022 version will be held Thursday September 15th at the Westin Chicago North Shore. The first event was held February 10–11, 2020 in New York City just prior to the pandemic. Book Manufacturing Mastered 2022 will feature a morning “Paper School” that will cover all things paper. As it is one of the, if not THE, top challenges facing the industry today, attendees will learn how it’s made to its different properties, to the impact it has on the environment. After a networking lunch, the afternoon panel featuring both publishers and manufacturers will give everyone a lay of the land as it stands today. Then attendees will have the chance for roundtable discussions with publishers, printers and suppliers about the top challenges facing the industry today and how they can be addressed. Lastly, the day will end with a networking cocktail reception that will feature tabletop exhibits from printers and suppliers to allow publishers in attendance to speak directly with those that help bring their ideas to print.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $13.56 billion for the retail month of August, the four weeks ended August 30, 2020, an increase of 15.0 percent from $11.79 billion last year. For the 16-week fourth quarter ended August 30, 2020, the Company reported net sales of $52.3 billion, an increase of 12.7 percent compared to net sales of $46.4 billion during the similar period last year. For the 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2020, the Company reported net sales of $163.2 billion, an increase of 9.2 percent from the $149.4 billion during the similar period last year.