According to Nielsen Bookscan, unit book sales in the UK for 2008 were down by just 0.4 percent, while revenue declined 1.6 percent to 1.773 billion pounds. Revenue was up 3.7 percent for the first half of the year, but declined 5 percent during the second half.
Industry Statistics
Beedle Sales
According to a press release today, JK Rowling’s Tales of Beedle the Bard sold 2.6 million copies worldwide in its first week on sale, generating £4.2 million (approximately $6.5 million) in proceeds for the Children’s High Level Group charity.
Another 10 Percent Drop in the UK
Weekly sales figures from Nielsen BookScan show book sales expenditures in the UK via tracked outlets declined 10.5 percent compared to the same week a year ago, ending December 13. Unit sales fell less, by 5.4 percent, with discounting pushing down the average selling price.
EUK to Liquidate
As predicted, the bankrupt UK wholesaler EUK has failed to find a quick buyer for what it is basically an unsustainable basis and bankruptcy administrator Deloitte announced today that “700 employees have today been made redundant.” The business will “continue to operate with a reduced workforce of 375 employees” while they try to extract whatever small value they can from the company. “Whilst we will continue to consider offers for the sale of the business as a going concern, we will now focus on realizing value from the company’s assets.” That will likely increase the efforts to sell Bertram’s–which is […]
UK Book Chains Fare Worse than Trade
Revenue from sales at UK High Street booksellers (like Waterstone’s and WH Smith) fell 12.7 percent in the week ending December 6–almost five points worse than the overall decline in sales tracked by Nielsen BookScan. The Telegraph says “high street book sales are plummeting as discounting, the growth of internet operators such as Amazon and dwindling consumer spending hits retailers.” As a result, “Discounting is becoming more aggressive as retailers fight to win customers with consumer spending dwindling in the wake of the economic downturn.”Telegraph
Rowling Wins UK Sales Race
Earlier this fall there was a minor trade squabble in the UK when Christopher Paolini’s first-day sale of BRISINGR outpaced the opening of Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT, but the release of JK Rowling’s TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD has settled all disputes about the year’s biggest launch. Beedle tracked sales via Nielsen BookScan of 367,625 copies in its first four days on sale. Number two was the Guinness World Records 2008, which sold about 73,000 copies in the same period. Delia Smith’s How to Cheat at Cooking sold 49,000 copies in two days, and Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care registered 44,000 […]