From The American Booksellers Association:
Despite some challenges securing inventory for a few high-demand holiday titles, the final numbers for unit book sales, as reported by ABA member bookstores for our national indie bestseller list were up — once again — for the 2018 holiday season. That growth was in keeping with the first three quarters of 2018, and, overall, sales for indie stores increased nearly five percent over 2017. As a result, given the strength of recent years, the compound growth in our channel over the past five years is a very healthy 7.5 percent. Of special note is the continued growth in sales for member stores employing IndieCommerce. Preliminary results indicate that year-over-year IndieCommerce sales numbers will be more than 10 percent over 2017, with an especially strong increase in the final eight weeks of the year.
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I don’t have to tell you that our numbers represent a healthy contrast with the soft national sales for many other bricks-and-mortar retailers, and they underscore why there has been such a sea change in the media’s coverage of independent bookstores. That upward sales trend is a testament to the ongoing commitment by indie booksellers to professional development, ongoing innovation, a strategic focus on store finances, sustained customer assistance, and community involvement. And, against that background, I do want to say that ABA fully understands that there are bookstores in communities that are not seeing these gains for a number of reasons, and ABA will continue to do everything we can to help ensure that all member stores can meet their core business goals.
. . . .
As upbeat as the news for indie bookstores has been in recent years, we at ABA recognize that 2019 is likely to present member stores a number of challenges. It’s clear that you will continue to see upward pressures in occupancy and payroll, two of the most critical components of long-term profitability. And, for sure, ABA’s commitment to working with our publisher partners to reduce the cost of goods remains a high priority.
Link to the rest at The American Booksellers Association
Or… it simply could be because B&N has lost 5X as many sales in 2018 as the indies bookstores have gained; while 80% of B&N’s lost sales went directly to Amazon instead, it looks like a few small crumbs fell to the neighborhood indie bookstores, too.
“I don’t have to tell you that our numbers […] underscore why there has been such a sea change in the media’s coverage of independent bookstores.”
The reason for the sea change in the media’s coverage of independent bookstores is the admittedly good job that the ABA has been doing of seeding the echo chamber with their “indie bookstores that sell paper books are important, and you should be shopping at them or feel guilty otherwise” message.
That is working in some places, but even this release admits that an independent new trad-pub hardcover bookstore is swiftly becoming a boutique storefront. c’est la vie.