The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Sales wilt in heat

13.05.08 Philip Stone

Last week, sales revenue fell to its lowest point in almost two years. As temperatures climbed into the upper 20s, just £23.1m was spent through BookScan's Total Consumer Market, 16.7% down on the previous week and 12.5% down year-on-year.

It is the lowest single-week revenue since 2006 when hot weather combined with an England World Cup football match on Saturday, 10th June, resulting in just £22.7m spent on books over seven days.

Within the charts, Kathy Reichs burst Patricia Cornwell's three-week bubble by taking top spot with a 34,121 weekly sale. Bones to Ashes is Arrow's first chart-topper since Chris Ryan's Ultimate Weapon sold 29,670 copies to top the chart this time last year.

It was another strong week for females with Jeremy Clarkson the highest placed male in sixth position. His latest collection of musings, Don't Stop Me Now (Penguin), sold 13,195 copies last week.

Meanwhile, John O'Farrell's An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (Black Swan) wins the highest new entry plaudits, coming in at 22nd in the charts. The book has been helped by half-price spots at Borders and Waterstone's.

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