The Weekly Scorecard: Tracking Unit Print Sales for Week Ending August 7, 2016

The huge opening-week of sales for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child led to a 22% gain in unit print sales in the week ended Aug. 7, 2016, compared to the similar week in 2015 at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. The big first week of sale for Potter—during which the novel sold 2.5 million copies—rippled across a number of industry segments. Sales through the mass merchandiser channel jumped 40% compared to the week ended Aug. 9, 2015. Unit sales jumped 85% in the juvenile fiction segment in the week, while hardcover unit sales skyrocketed 87%. Sales in the three other book segments had modest unit gains in the week. Adult nonfiction unit sales rose 2%, led by Glenn Beck’s Liars, which sold more than 21,000 copies in its first week on sale. The juvenile nonfiction segment also posted a 2% increase in the week. Topping the category’s bestsellers list was First 100 Words by Roger Priddy, which sold almost 7,900 copies, followed by Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook, which sold just under 6,800 copies. Unit sales inched up 1% in the week in the adult fiction segment over 2015, as The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins stayed in first place on the category bestsellers list, selling almost 48,000 copies. The newest James Patterson thriller, Bullseye, sold more than 35,000 copies in its first week on sale, putting it in second place on the adult fiction list.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format

*Totals for 2016 include units sold through Family Christian Stores. No sales through Family Christian are included in 2015.