According to preliminary estimates by the US Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau), after falling 8% in September, bookstore sales bounced back in October with sales inching up 4.5% to $914 million,. Although, for the first 10 months of 2012, bookstore sales were down 1.3%, to $12.55 billion. All stores where books account for at least 50% of sales are included in the Census survey.
The New York Times (@nytimesbooks) says bookstores report they’re doing well:
There are many reasons bookstores point to for their successful holiday season. President Obama, they note, set the stage when he took his daughters, Sasha and Malia, to One More Page Books in Arlington, Va., on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, where he snapped up 15 children’s books.
Small bookstores report that they are also benefiting from the popularity of Kobo e-readers, which were designed for independent bookstores and allow customers to buy ebooks through the independents’ websites, as opposed to say, Amazon....
One thing independent bookstores seem to have going for them is the close bond they retain with their customers.
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