Bookstores Need More than Hope. They Need Sales. And Soon. (publishersweekly.com)

For the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2022 *Net sales increased 16.8% to $2.3 billion compared to $2.0 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2021 due to the favorable impact from the continued resilience of the beauty category, the impact of new brands and product innovation, and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2021. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 14.4% compared to an increase of 56.3% in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, driven by an 8.3% increase in transactions and a 5.6% increase in average ticket. *Gross profit increased 16.3% to $928.2 million compared to $798.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2021. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit decreased to 40.4% compared to 40.6% in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, primarily due to lower merchandise margin and higher inventory shrink, partially offset by leverage of fixed costs and strong growth in other revenue. *Operating income increased 17.8% to $391.4 million, or 17.0% of net sales, compared to $332.3 million, or 16.9% of net sales, in the second quarter of fiscal 2021. *Net income increased 17.8% to $295.7 million compared to $250.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2021.

Sustainability is playing an increasingly larger role in the lives of young consumers, particularly among Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997 and after). This trend is expected to continue as Gen Z consumers enter the workforce and start setting up their own households. As a result, the Paper and Packaging Board’s “How Life Unfolds” Campaign® is launching a new sustainability-focused effort to more appealing to young consumers. “As our consumer audience begins to age up, we need to keep reaching out to younger generations with important sustainability messaging,” explains Mary Anne Hansan, president of the Paper and Packaging Board. “They are worried about the environment, have heard stories about recycling not being worthwhile and have misperceptions about the health of U.S. forests. That’s why we’ve created a campaign set to reach a younger audience with content that is both entertaining and educational.” The new effort is based in part on findings from The Hartman Group’s “Sustainability 2019: Beyond Business as Usual” study of American consumers aged 18-73. Researchers found that sustainability is “a cultural value and defining concern for today’s consumer,” and that “consumers increasingly hold companies and governments responsible for sustainability than individuals,” even as they adjust their own behaviors to lessen their personal environmental footprint.

Independent booksellers are expressing frustration and disappointment with Chronicle Books for its handling of comedian John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. Oliver announced the immediate availability of the book at the end of his Sunday, March 18 show, but to the surprise of independent booksellers, Oliver said that the book was only available at that time through Amazon. The illustrated children’s book about a gay bunny parodies the newly released Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President by Vice President Mike Pence’s wife Karen and daughter Charlotte, which is told through the eyes of the family’s pet rabbit.