BTW Articles

January 2003 retail sales for bookstores showed signs of life after three months of decline. January bookstore sales of $2,253 million improved 3.0 percent over the $2,188 million of January 2002.

Overall retail sales of $280 billion for January 2003 was 5.7 percent better than the $265 billion of the previous year.

January is the 12th month in a row in which bookstore sales failed to keep pace with overall retail sales.

Two Booksellers Forums and additional ABA programming will be held on Friday, March 14, in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Spring Show in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and with the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association (MBPA) Spring Trade Show in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

There are still rooms available for BEA at the Hotel California -- the Radisson Wilshire Plaza, where ABA bookstore members can book an exclusive deal of $111 a night from May 25 to June 7. However, the rooms are going fast, and booksellers are encouraged to book quickly (see end of story for details). The Radisson Wilshire Plaza is a comfortable, recently renovated business-style hotel located fewer than 15 minutes from the Los Angeles Convention Center.