Self-Improvement Boom Sets Book Sales Off on Fast Start in 2021 (publishersweekly.com)
Unit sales of print books got off to a blazing start in 2021. Sales jumped 19.3% last week over the week ended January 2 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Moreover, units were up nearly 25% over the comparable week in 2020. With sales hitting 17.1 million, BookScan said it was the first time in the history of the service unit sales topped 17 million in the first week of January.
Early January is always a good time for titles tied to renewal and self-improvement, and those categories did especially well compared to last year. In the nonfiction adult segment, double-digit gains were posted by body, mind, and spirit (up 63%), self-help (ahead 30%), cooking (+22%), and religion (+13%). The new year did not help the travel segment, however, with units tumbling 41%.
more at source: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/85316-book-sales-get-off-to-fast-start.html