NRF launches sustainability center

Highlights: *Net sales of $5 billion, down 7% versus the first quarter of 2022. -Brick-and-mortar sales decreased 6% versus the first quarter of 2022. -Digital sales decreased 8% versus the first quarter of 2022. *Comparable sales down 7.9% on an owned basis and down 7.2% on an owned-plus-licensed basis. *Gross margin rate for the quarter was 40.0%, up from 39.6% in the first quarter of 2022. Versus the first quarter of 2019, gross margin rate increased 180 basis points from 38.2%.

With book banning and legislative attacks on the freedom to read continuing to surge across the country, the American Library Association announced today that it tracked a stunning 1,269 "demands to censor library books and resources" in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago, and nearly double the record-shattering 729 challenges recorded in 2021. In a release, ALA officials said the challenges involved a record 2,571 unique titles—a stunning 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Once again, the vast majority of works challenged were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color; 58% of reported challenges targeted works in schools and 41% targeted materials in public libraries.

Financial Highlights: *Revenues increased by 14% to £185.1 million (2019/20: £162.8 million) *Profit before taxation and highlighted items4 grew by 22% to £19.2 million, up from £15.7 million in 2019/20 *Profit before taxation grew by 31% to £17.3 million (2019/20: £13.2 million) *Net cash of £54.5 million at 28 February 2021, up 74% (2020: £31.3 million) *Cash conversion of 142% (2019/20: 111%)