Time to Submit Numbers to ABACUS -- Year 2

ABA is strongly encouraging bookstores to submit their fiscal 2003 financial statement numbers to the "ABACUS Survey - Year 2."

Last year, 197 ABA member bookstores submitted data to the study, and, as a result, ABACUS served to fashion a standard by which independents can measure their financial performance and identify those areas that need to be addressed to move them to greater profitability. As the study moves into its second year, ABA will be able to develop reports on trends within the universe of all reported data and for individual bookstores. Allowing booksellers to see trends in the larger data set and to compare their stores to others will provide a clearer picture of the success of efforts to make the bookstore more profitable. ABA will provide all participants with their own personal analysis of their numbers compared to as many different data slices as the information allows.

The ABACUS form itself is largely unchanged from last year. ABA is asking for only one or two new pieces of information in an effort to make the study more valuable and to reduce the need to ask for supplemental data later. For example, ABA is asking that booksellers supply sales by month now, rather than later.

The process for submitting data is simple:

1. Click here. Booksellers who wish to work offline may simply download the PDF file and print it -- the form and the help fields will be provided.

2. Booksellers who compute their numbers offline can then go back online and enter their data in the Web submission form and click "Submit."

3. Confirmation of transmittal will appear. Booksellers may also print their submission for future reference.