UK Trade Booksellers Confront their Worst Xmas Since 2005

The Bookseller: "Poor weather, a sluggish economy and higher levels of discounting than in 2009 could lead to this Christmas being the worst festive period for [UK] booksellers since the middle of the last decade, short of a last-minute flurry of sales. ... According to projected figures, this poor year could see the trade shrink to its 2005 size, about £1.65bn. Currently, the market is down 3.8% year on year, while sales last week were down 4.5% year on year. If sales over the coming fortnight were to perform at a similar rate, sales at year-end could total around £1.68bn, down 4% or £70.1m year on year. Volume sales would be down 5% year on year to £223.9m and the average selling price will be down 0.6% to £7.39."