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Sainsbury's value book sales grew by more than a quarter in 2010 as the supermarket reported a disappointing wider sales update.
For the year to 19th March, head of books Phil Carroll said value sales were up 27% to £38.5m and volume sales were up 17% to 9m. He said: "It was an exceptional performance driven by the right offer across the right books." Average selling price also increased by 8% over the year, added Carroll.
Among the highlights, he identified Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals, of which he said Sainsbury's sold more than 250,000 copies, Stephen Fry's The Fry Chronicles (30,000) and John Grisham's The Confession (25,000). He said Sainsbury's sold 100,000 copies of its own brand Winter Recipe Collection and said it would publish at least 50 own brand titles across cookery and children's books by the end of this year.
Carroll added the supermarket planned to introduce an e-book offer this year, as well as devote more space in store to books as well as sell books in more stores. However, he refused to discuss the timescale or size of expanded offer.
In its results issued yesterday [23rd March], Sainsbury's revealed total sales for the fourth quarter to 19th March were up 3.5% with like for likes up 1.0%. Like for like sales for the full year were up 2.3%.