Unit sales of print books rose 2% in the week ended Aug. 21, 2016, compared to the similar week in 2015, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. With kids heading back to school, units in the juvenile nonfiction segment rose 9%. A wide variety of titles had solid gains, including a number of books published by School Zone. Two of its titles ran in the third and fourth spots on the juvenile nonfiction bestsellers list: Big Preschool Workbook and Multiplication 0-12 each sold more than 5,100 copies. Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook had another good week, selling more than 6,600 copies, placing it at #2 on the bestsellers list. The juvenile fiction category had a 7% increase, led once again by big numbers from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which sold more than 242,000 copies, making it the top-selling book of the week. The second place title on the juvenile fiction bestseller list was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, which sold more than 13,000 copies. The adult fiction and nonfiction categories each had a sales gain of less than 1% in the week. Units rose 0.5% in adult nonfiction, where Amy Schumer’s new book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, sold just under 44,000 copies, landing it in the top spot on the category list. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins was #1 in the adult fiction category, selling more than 60,000 copies. The top new book in the category was Sandra Brown’s Sting, which sold almost 20,000 copies, putting it in fifth place on the adult fiction bestsellers list.
Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel
| Aug. 23, 2015 | Aug. 21, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12,211 | 12,497 | 2% | 5% |
| Mass Merch./Other | 1,684 | 1,626 | -3% | -3% |
| Retail & Club | 10,527 | 10,870 | 3% | 7% |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Category
| Aug. 23, 2015 | Aug. 21, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Nonfiction | 5,305 | 5,329 | 0.5% | 10% |
| Adult Fiction | 2,715 | 2,732 | 0.6% | -2% |
| Juvenile Nonfiction | 901 | 958 | 9% | 6% |
| Juvenile Fiction | 2,864 | 3,066 | 7% | 5% |
Unit Sales of Print Books by Format
| Aug. 23, 2015 | Aug. 21, 2016* | Chge Week | Chge YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 2,760 | 3,032 | 10% | 7% |
| Trade Paperback | 7,355 | 7,475 | 2% | 7% |
| Mass Market Paperback | 1,283 | 1,148 | -10% | -8% |
| Board Books | 466 | 477 | 2% | 10% |
| Audio | 73 | 74 | 1% | -14% |
*Totals for 2016 include units sold through Family Christian Stores. No sales through Family Christian are included in 2015.
Source: Nielsen BookScan and Publishers Weekly. Nielsen BookScan’s U.S. Consumer Market Panel covers approximately 80% of the print book market and continues to grow.
