July Bookstore Sales Down 7.4%

Monday's Publishers Weekly reported that bookstore sales took a tumble in July, falling 7.4% compared to the same month last year.

The drop was expected since the seventh and final Harry Potter book--Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--was released on July 21st last year, giving that month an enormous boost.

For the seven-month period ending in July, bookstore sales were up 1.7% compared to the same seven months in 2007.

Compare bookstore results to the entire retail segment where July sales rose 2.9% and where the seven-months through July sales were up 3.2%.