Print Sales Rose 5.8% in Christmas Week (publishersweekly.com)

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, members of the children’s book community—including teachers and literacy activists—have rallied in support of students and educators. A number of authors have also organized efforts to provide books, clothes, and other basic-needs items to children and families affected by the storm. Back in 2012, author Kate Messner launched KidLit Cares, an online talent auction of children’s book art and other items, in response to Hurricane Sandy. The first auction brought in more than $35,000. Messner recently reprised the initiative when she learned of the devastation caused by Harvey. “Like so many people, I watched the news about Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath and was absolutely heartbroken to see so many families in crisis. The scope of that storm was devastating, and it hit vulnerable populations the hardest. I wanted to do something and knew that I wasn’t alone,” she said. Click Read More below for more of the story.

*Net sales of $4.04 billion, up 2% compared to last year. Comparable sales were up 1% year-over-year. -Online sales increased 5% compared to last year and represented 39% of total net sales. -Store sales increased 1% compared to last year. The company ended the quarter with 3,380 store locations in over 40 countries, of which 2,743 were company operated. *Reported gross margin was 37.4%; adjusted gross margin, excluding $53 million in impairment charges related to Yeezy Gap, was 38.7%, deleveraging 320 basis points versus last year. *Reported operating income was $186 million; reported operating margin of 4.6%. *Reported net income of $282 million.

With sales up in all categories, unit sales of print books rose 9.5% in the week ended Oct. 31, 2020, over the comparable week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The top-selling book was The Deep End (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15) by Jeff Kinney, which sold more than 171,000 copies and helped to drive up sales in the juvenile fiction category by 15.5%. A second new release that landed high on the category list was Jimmy Fallon’s 5 More Sleeps ’til Christmas, which sold more than 21,000 copies. For most categories, sales increases over the week ended Nov. 2, 2019, weren’t driven by hot new bestsellers but by solid sales overall. The #1 title in the juvenile nonfiction category, for example, was Big Preschool Workbook, which sold a modest 7,200 copes. The YA fiction category, which had a 25.7% increase, was once again led by Stephenie Meyer’s Midnight Sun, which sold more than 17,000 copies.