The AAP released their StatShot statistics for August sales, with unremarkable results for the trade, which was mostly flat — if you take the new report at face value. Net trade sales for August were $608.7 million, up marginally ($3.3 million) from the same month a year ago. In contrast, gross print shipments — before returns, which is the better indicator of current and future sales — were $595.5 million for the month, down a modest 1.9 percent (or $11.7 million). But the real reason sales look flat is because the historical comparison data for August 2016 was revised upwards. […]
