16 January , 2002

A CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR BOOKS FROM WALES
 
The weeks leading up to Christmas were extremely busy for the bookshops in Wales, with a substantial increase in book sales through the Books Council’s Distribution Centre.
 
The Distribution Centre’s sales figures for December 2001 showed an increase of 25% on sales in December 2000, with the combined sales of November and December showing an increase of 12% on the previous year.
 
‘We have seen a constant increase in book sales during the Christmas period,’ said Phil Davies, Head of Marketing at the Books Council, ‘but this year’s increase was most impressive, and the sales for November/December were the best ever for the Distribution Centre.
 
‘We knew that a number of very popular titles had been published which were sure to be bestsellers and it is obvious that the readers appreciated the range of books produced by the publishers. Last year had been a difficult one for a number of publishers and booksellers due to the effects of the foot-and-mouth crisis, which led to a reduction in book sales during the spring and summer period. The increase in sales over the Christmas period will therefore be warmly welcomed by the book trade in Wales.’
 
For further information please contact: Elwyn Jones, Marketing Officer, Welsh Books Council, Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2JB
Tel (01970) 624151
Fax (01970) 625385
Email: elwyn.jones@cllc.org.uk