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John Wiley and Sons, Inc. and Iowa State University today announced the signing of a three-year transitional open access agreement, among the first-of-its-kind in the United States. The agreement will advance Iowa State University’s goal to increase open access publishing and expand its open access offerings, allowing peer-reviewed articles to be read and shared immediately, and making important research broadly available. The multi-year agreement, which will run from January 1, 2021 through 2023, will allow the University to accelerate the number of open access articles it publishes, by increasing its publishing funds toward open access articles in Wiley’s hybrid and gold open access journals. This agreement builds on the University’s current partnership with Wiley, which gives faculty, researchers, and students access to Wiley’s leading portfolio of journals.

National Popcorn Day is on January 19! The Popcorn Factory® and Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn are marking the occasion by sharing unique ideas for enjoying one of America’s favorite, go-to snacks. From popcorn aficionados seeking traditional or trendy flavors, to families looking for creative ways to relish the gourmet treat together at home, these brands offer something special for every palate: Ready to explore the world of popcorn flavors? The adventure begins with a broad selection of sweet and savory flavors including cookies & crème, chicken & waffles, bacon cheddar, milk chocolate and salted caramel. These one-of-a-kind, poppin’ flavors will step up everyone’s snacking game.

Unit sales of print books got off to a blazing start in 2021. Sales jumped 19.3% last week over the week ended January 2 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Moreover, units were up nearly 25% over the comparable week in 2020. With sales hitting 17.1 million, BookScan said it was the first time in the history of the service unit sales topped 17 million in the first week of January. Early January is always a good time for titles tied to renewal and self-improvement, and those categories did especially well compared to last year. In the nonfiction adult segment, double-digit gains were posted by body, mind, and spirit (up 63%), self-help (ahead 30%), cooking (+22%), and religion (+13%). The new year did not help the travel segment, however, with units tumbling 41%.

During the holiday season, Nordstrom continued to leverage its digital and physical assets to provide a unique breadth of merchandise selection across brands, price points and styles and convenient shopping experiences for customers: *December sales across the Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack brands reflected sequential improvement from November with momentum continuing into January. *Digital sales grew 23 percent over last year and represented 54 percent of total sales compared with 34 percent from the same period in fiscal 2019. *Approximately 11 percent of Nordstrom.com orders were picked up in-store, which accelerated to more than 20 percent during the week preceding Christmas. *Approximately 9 percent of Nordstromrack.com orders were picked up in-store, which was enabled by the integration of Nordstrom Rack store and online inventory in October. *More than 30 percent of online orders were fulfilled from Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores. *As a result of expanded gifting selection, gifting items made up 67 percent of sales, an increase of 600 basis points from the prior year.

Total Company net sales for the two months ended December 31, 2020, decreased 8.4% over the same period last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales decreased 9% due to negative retail store net sales as stronger conversion rates could not offset the reduced store traffic as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions. Lower store net sales were partially offset by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 1% at Free People and decreased 8% at Urban Outfitters and 12% at the Anthropologie Group. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 1%. For the eleven months ended December 31, 2020, total Company net sales decreased 14.3% over the same period last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales decreased 12%, driven by negative retail store net sales due to mandated store closures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and lower store productivity once opened, partially offset by strong double-digit growth in the digital channel. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 42%. On a personnel note, URBN today announced Trish Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Outfitters Group, will be leaving the Company as of January 31, 2021, to pursue a new career opportunity. We are pleased to announce that Sheila Harrington will become Chief Executive Officer for both Urban Outfitters Group and Free People Group. Additionally, Gabrielle Conforti, currently the Chief Merchandising Officer for the Urban Outfitters brand, has been promoted to President, Urban Outfitters North America, and Emma Wisden will continue as Managing Director, Urban Outfitters Europe, and will lead the Urban Outfitters brand Wholesale business. Both Gabrielle and Emma will report to Sheila.

For the November/December period compared with last year: *Comparable sales grew 17.2 percent, reflecting comparable store sales growth of 4.2 percent and comparable digital sales growth of 102 percent. *Traffic increased 4.3 percent and average ticket increased 12.3 percent. *The company continued to gain market share in all five of its core merchandise categories. Sales growth was strongest in Home and Hardlines. *Sales on same-day services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 193 percent. *Drive Up grew more than 500 percent. *Shipt grew more than 300 percent. *Approximately 95 percent of Target's sales were fulfilled by its stores.

Outsourced marketing execution provider HH Global today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Marketing Services division of GBG. The agreement will further strengthen the interactive capabilities of HH Global, following the acquisition of Blueberry Wave in 2019. Existing GBG Marketing Services customers will benefit from the extensive specialist capabilities that HH Global provides. Steve Mattey, Managing Director, Interactive said: “This acquisition strengthens our interactive solutions, supporting our clients’ growing needs for smarter and more advanced marketing execution. We are delighted at the additional marketing technologies and tools this acquisition brings us, as well as the highly skilled team from GBG.” Existing GBG Marketing Services customers will immediately benefit from the extensive specialist capabilities that HH Global provides, across end-to-end marketing execution services.

The ODP Corporation confirmed that it has received a proposal to acquire the Company from USR Parent, Inc., the parent company of Staples and a portfolio company of Sycamore Partners. Consistent with its fiduciary duties, ODP’s Board of Directors is carefully reviewing the proposal in consultation with its financial and legal advisors to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. As part of its review, the Board is evaluating various components of the proposal, including potential antitrust and other regulatory challenges given USR Parent’s ownership of Staples and past regulatory decisions blocking the combination of the two companies, purchase price, and closing conditionality. The Company noted that, according to its letter to ODP, USR Parent expects the regulatory process to take at least six months.

Bauer Media UK is to add two new magazines to its successful Puzzles portfolio. The company, which already publishes a number of Take a Break puzzles magazines, today launches Bella Puzzles Train Your Brain – a brand extension to Bella, one of the nation’s most popular women’s weekly titles. The monthly title, priced at £2.50, offers 84 pages of challenging puzzles to help train the brain as well as features on mindfulness, well-being and health that will feel familiar to Bella readers. A second standalone title, Bigger Better Puzzles, hits newsstands on Thursday (14 January) and marks Bauer Media UK’s first dedicated large-print mixed puzzle magazine.

Enthusiast magazines Rock and Ice and Climbing, which have been rivals for 36 years, are now one entity. The future merger was announced when Big Stone Publishing was acquired by Pocket Outdoor Media in October 2020. The new combined publication, called Climbing, debuts this spring — but it will be written by the editorial staffs of both magazines. To date, there has been no mention of staff reductions. The future Climbing will include art makeovers and upgrades, as well as more content and higher production values. Editors describe the alliance as “having a partner to help solve an elusive crux, rather than trying to unlock it yourself.”

North Island Media has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print, paper, and paper-based packaging. “Two Sides North America welcomes North Island Media as a new member and we look forward to working with them to expand our reach within the Canadian printing industry. Two Sides materials and content cover the sustainability aspects of print and paper in both the US and Canadian markets and are available to member companies in both countries,” said Phil Riebel, Two Sides North America President.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. provided an update to its fiscal fourth quarter 2020 plan. The company expects: *Net sales to decline in the 5% to 7% range versus plan of down 5% to down 10%, reflecting ongoing digital momentum offset by store closures and capacity restrictions in North America and EMEA. *Gross profit rate to be up at least 130 basis points to last year’s 58.2% versus plan of flat to up slightly, benefiting from reduced depth and breadth of promotions and markdowns relative to plan and to last year. *Operating expense, excluding other operating income, to be down at least 2% from fiscal 2019 adjusted non-GAAP operating expense of $566 million, reflecting savings in store expenses due to closures and the recognition of rent abatements. This compares to plan of up 1% to 2%.

*Total net sales of $148.7 million increased by 3.3% for the 2020 holiday period compared to $143.9 million for last year’s comparable nine-week holiday period ended January 4, 2020 (the “2019 holiday period”). *Total comparable net sales, including both physical stores and e-commerce, increased by 2.7% for the 2020 holiday period compared to a decrease of 2.0% for the 2019 holiday period. Comparable net sales of Footwear, Womens and Mens increased compared to the 2019 holiday period, partially offset by decreases in Boys, Accessories and Girls. *Comparable net sales in physical stores decreased by 12.4% for the 2020 holiday period compared to a decrease of 2.7% during the 2019 holiday period. Comparable net sales in physical stores decreased in all geographic markets during the 2020 holiday period compared to the 2019 holiday period. Net sales in physical stores represented 69.0% of total net sales for the 2020 holiday period compared to 80.5% of total net sales during the 2019 holiday period. *E-commerce net sales increased by 65.2% for the 2020 holiday period compared to an increase of 1.0% during the 2019 holiday period. E-commerce net sales increased across all 50 states during the 2020 holiday period compared to the 2019 holiday period. E-commerce net sales represented 31.0% of total net sales for the 2020 holiday period compared to 19.5% of total net sales during the 2019 holiday period.

With all major categories posting increases, unit sales of print books rose 8.2% in 2020 over 2019 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. For the year ended January 2, 2021, units hit 750.9 million, up from 693.7 million a year ago. While the book industry was concerned that sales would collapse when pandemic-induced store lockdowns were imposed in the spring, sales never saw a serious decline despite the other effects of Covid-19 on the business. Online sales and sales through non-bookstore outlets more than offset declines at physical retailers.

Torstar Corporation announced today it has joined with Golf Town Limited to create a new partnership to acquire SCOREGolf Magazine, including all SCOREGolf content and related assets. SCOREGolf, which started in 1980, is a Canadian media brand that includes SCOREGolf Magazine, the largest circulated golf publication in Canada, as well as SCOREGolf.com, television and video content production, and the ranking of Canada’s Top 59 public golf courses and Top 100 golf courses.

L Brands, Inc. reported net sales of $3.836 billion for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, compared to net sales of $3.906 billion for the nine weeks ended Jan. 4, 2020. Comparable sales increased 5 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, compared to the nine weeks ended Jan. 4, 2020. At Bath & Body Works, comparable sales increased 17 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, including a comparable sales increase of 5 percent in stores and 64 percent sales growth in the direct channel. The merchandise margin rate for the quarter-to-date period increased significantly. At Victoria’s Secret, comparable sales decreased 9 percent for the nine weeks ended Jan. 2, 2021, including a comparable sales decrease of 23 percent in stores and 24 percent sales growth in the direct channel. The merchandise margin rate for the quarter-to-date period increased significantly.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $19.14 billion for the retail month of December, the five weeks ended January 3, 2021, an increase of 12.3 percent from $17.04 billion last year. For the 18 weeks ended January 3, 2021, the Company reported net sales of $65.47 billion, an increase of 14.9 percent from $56.99 billion during the similar period last year.

First quarter results, year-over-year: *Sales increased 5.7 percent to $36.3 billion, up 5.2 percent on a constant currency basis *Loss per share was $0.36, compared to EPS of $0.95 in the year-ago quarter, including a $1.73 per share charge from the company's equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen; Adjusted EPS decreased 11.2 percent to $1.22, down 11.6 percent on a constant currency basis, reflecting an estimated adverse COVID-19 impact of $0.26 to $0.30 per share *Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.2 billion, an increase of $134 million; Free cash flow was $763 million, an increase of $90 million, or 13 percent

Amazon announced its first-ever purchase of eleven Boeing 767-300 aircraft, expanding its fleet to continue to serve customers. The purchases include seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet, which will join the network by 2022. Amazon Air’s fleet expansion comes at a time when customers are relying on fast, free shipping more than ever. “Our goal is to continue delivering for customers across the U.S. in the way that they expect from Amazon, and purchasing our own aircraft is a natural next step toward that goal,” said Sarah Rhoads, Vice President of Amazon Global Air. “Having a mix of both leased and owned aircraft in our growing fleet allows us to better manage our operations, which in turn helps us to keep pace in meeting our customer promises.”

Wyndham Destinations and Meredith Corporation announced that Wyndham Destinations has acquired the Travel + Leisure brand and all related assets from Meredith Corporation, combining the travel company’s portfolio of resort, membership, and lifestyle travel brands with the world’s most trusted travel lifestyle content curator and its travel clubs. “We acquired Travel + Leisure, including access to its global audience of 35 million loyal followers across multiple platforms and nearly 60,000 club members, because it matches our passion and purpose to put the world on vacation. Over the past 18 months, we have laid the foundation to expand our footprint beyond our core vacation ownership business, and today we add one of the most trusted and influential brands in travel through the acquisition of Travel + Leisure,” said Michael D. Brown, president and chief executive officer of Wyndham Destinations. “This iconic brand, along with its authoritative content and wide audience, will help accelerate and amplify the growth of new capital-light travel businesses and services, as we take the next step in expanding our reach within the global leisure travel industry.”

AmerisourceBergen Corporation and Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. announced strategic agreements under which AmerisourceBergen will acquire the majority of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Alliance Healthcare businesses for approximately $6.5 billion, comprised of $6.275 billion in cash and 2 million shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock. AmerisourceBergen’s acquisition of Alliance Healthcare will provide even stronger support for pharmacies and pharmacists across the globe and integrated solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Walgreens Boots Alliance will be able to increase its focus on expanding its core retail pharmacy businesses, bringing even greater healthcare offerings to patients and customers and further accelerating its progress on its clear set of strategic priorities.

Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Chairman Robert G. Taub announced that Commissioner Ashley E. Poling has been unanimously elected as Vice Chairwoman of the Commission, succeeding Vice Chairman Michael Kubayanda. PRC regulations state that the Commission elect a member to serve as Vice Chairman for a term of one year. Chairman Taub said he is elated Commissioner Poling has agreed to serve in the capacity of Vice Chairwoman. “She has a unique understanding of the challenges at hand and understands the importance of the regulators' role as we navigate the complexities involved in making sure we have a vibrant postal system for years to come.”

In the last full shopping week before Christmas, unit sales of print books fell 3.5%, compared to the similar week in 2019, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Sales were down in the four biggest segments, with juvenile nonfiction units falling the most, dropping 9.2%, compared to the week ended Dec. 21, 2019. The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz was #1 on the category list, selling over 35,000 copies. Last year at this time, the title sold more than 37,000 copies and was in third place, topped by Raina Telgemeier’s Guts (about 43,000 copies sold) and The Try Not to Laugh Challenge by Crazy Corey, which sold about 39,000 copies. The juvenile fiction category had a 4.4% decline in the week, with Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey at #1, selling over 88,000 copies.

The move to increase the minimum wage gained significant ground in 2020 on the state level. Twenty-five states will raise the minimum wage in 2021, with 21 of those states enacting the increases on January 1, according to payroll experts at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. The firm noted that some of the hikes in states such as California, Colorado, Maine, Washington are the result of previously approved incremental increases to reach a specific amount that is considered to be a "living wage." Other states' increases reflect an annual cost-of-living adjustment, which accounts for the changes in states like Alaska, Florida, Minnesota, and Montana.

JCPenney’s new ownership group, consisting of Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, along with strategic partner Authentic Brands Group, have launched a search for a Chief Executive Officer to replace Jill Soltau, who will be exiting the company effective December 31, 2020. The search will seek to identify a leader that is focused on modern retail, the consumer experience, and the goal of creating a sustainable and enduring JCPenney. With a successful track record of turning around retailers and brands and restoring them to profitability, JCPenney’s new ownership group will establish a temporary office of the CEO to include key members of JCPenney’s current leadership team. Stanley Shashoua, Simon Property Group’s Chief Investment Officer, will be appointed interim CEO effective January 1, 2021.

The number of new print magazines launched in the US dropped by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared to 139 a year earlier. But in a surprise move, the pace of new launches accelerated in the second half of the year with food, home and fitness titles proving the most popular. The data comes from Professor Samir Husni, founder of the University of Mississippi’s Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media, who bills himself as “Mr. Magazine,” and has been tracking the number of new US magazine launches since 1978.

Thomson Reuters Corporation announced that it has received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange for the annual renewal of its normal course issuer bid. Under the renewed NCIB, up to 5 million common shares (which represents approximately 1% of Thomson Reuters issued and outstanding common shares) may be repurchased between January 4, 2021 and January 3, 2022. Thomson Reuters has set a target to maintain approximately 500 million common shares outstanding by using share repurchases to offset dilution associated with its dividend reinvestment and equity incentive plans. On December 24, 2020, there were 497,117,528 Thomson Reuters common shares outstanding. For its NCIB that began on August 19, 2019 and expired on August 18, 2020, Thomson Reuters previously received approval from the TSX to repurchase up to 25 million common shares. Of this amount, Thomson Reuters repurchased approximately 6.9 million common shares for a total cost of approximately US$500 million, representing an average price of US$72.61 per share.

In the last full shopping week before Christmas, unit sales of print books rose 5.2% over the week ended December 12 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. But unlike many weeks in 2020, unit sales fell compared to 2019, with unit sales down 3.5% from the week ended December 21, 2019. The adult segments led the gain over the week ended December 12. Unit sales of adult nonfiction increased 10.3% over the prior week as Barack Obama’s A Promised Land remained the top-seller, selling more than 327,000 copies. Since its release November 17, the memoir has been the #1 selling book in the country every week and has sold over 2,254,000 copies at outlets that report to BookScan.

Even before work became WFH and social interaction turned completely digital, people have been longing for tangible elements in our hyper online landscape. Now, the search for sensory engagement beyond what our screens can offer is even more meaningful. And that could mean now is the right time to focus on print in your brand strategy. “Engaging sensory experiences have become even more meaningful during this time of uncertainty,” writes Cecile Jordan in Beyond Definition. “Think about how refreshing it is to take a walk outside. Or open a piece of mail. Not an email or another utility bill. I mean actual snail mail perhaps from a friend or maybe a magazine.” Jordan echoes what many brands are finding; that direct mail and printed marketing is more welcome — and more successful — when our audiences are digitally maxed out.

Facebook says more than 5,700 publishers began using or rejoined its Instant Articles feature this year. That includes Reuters, Salon and The Daily Dot. The top 100 publishers in the U.S. and Canada using Instant Articles experienced RPM (revenue per thousand article reads) growth of 48% year over year. Globally, the top 500 publishers saw RPM growth of 27% year over year.

Meredith Corporation's EatingWell, the ultimate source for people passionate about food and wellness, announces that its December issue advertising revenue is up 38% from last year, with its total fourth quarter 2020 print advertising revenue up 10% year-over-year. The EatingWell website posted a 26% increase in unique visitors between November 2019 and November 2020 to 4.4 million from 3.5 million,* and its total followers across its social channels has increased by 16% year over year as of November, led by a follower increase of 85% on Instagram. Tiffany Ehasz, Publisher of EatingWell said, "As we reach the finale of EatingWell's 30th year, this trusted brand is more relevant than ever. It's exciting to see how our content is resonating with consumers as they seek out recipes and information in areas we know so well—food, wellness, sustainability, giving back and beyond—particularly during these times. In fact, according to a recent Meredith Data Studio survey, seven in ten women were motivated to improve the way they eat during the pandemic. Lastly, I'd like to send a big thank you to our advertising partners. I'm very grateful to everyone who has supported us this past year and looking forward to a fruitful 2021."

Guitar Center expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Dec. 31 after recently winning approval in federal bankruptcy court for its reorganization plan, the company said in a press release. According to the musical instrument retailer, the plan allows it to shed more than $800 million in debt. At the same time, Guitar Center has raised $350 million in new secured notes and expects to have a new asset-based facility worth up to $375 million, as well as $165 million in new equity investments.

Patagonia’s used clothing program is beginning to take off. The company has been gradually building out its own resale platform, Worn Wear. Now, the four-year-old service, which allows customers to sell their own Patagonia items and buy authenticated used ones, is having a “record year” in sales, according to the company. Worn Wear has also seen “record sales months” for its up-cycled collection, called ReCrafted, which launched in November 2019, according to the company. It’s been quite the year for used and second hand marketplaces. Resale platforms — including Poshmark, ThredUP and Mercari — reported major uptick in growth. But Patagonia opted to build its own service to be able to buy back inventory, authenticate and resell it to enthusiastic customers.

Dear Industry Member: Hopefully, you attended ACMA’s Postal Nightmare web event this week (though if you did not, I encourage you to click here to view the replay) and you better understand the grave implications of the PRC’s recent Order on the 10-Year Review. Our discussion clearly illustrated the challenges all users of the mail are experiencing right now. We also laid out the concrete steps we can take to forestall, ameliorate, reduce or manage the steep climb of mailing costs we are facing. This truly needs a widespread industry response now; otherwise, 2021 will surely begin the death spiral for mail. It is stunning that officials in Washington have demonstrated such disregard for the realities of our operating businesses, seeking only more money from business mailers to sop up the rapidly-expanding costs for the benefit of the nation. view the replay at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhCCZ6muo3M . Click Read More for additional key information

A new scientific report is in, affirming what most teachers can probably already tell you: Print is vital for effective education. “The argument that reading on paper results in deeper comprehension and retention, concentration, vocabulary building and memory has been given immense weight by a groundbreaking new study,” notes this article from Two Sides NA. “The research examined the results of 54 studies with a total of over 170,000 participants from 19 countries,” the article continues, “and found overwhelming evidence that comprehension of text is much stronger when reading from paper as opposed to a screen, particularly when the reader is under time pressure.” We’ve shared previous research on this topic — studies have shown that reading on paper is better for comprehension and overall learning — but there was a new twist to this study, named E-READ. The four-year study aimed to discover if students learning from digital devices progressed as rapidly as those learning by reading on paper. The results are clear. “Students learning from digital devices only progressed one third as much as they would have done had they been reading on paper,” the article notes.

With gains across all categories, unit sales of print books rose 16.9% last week over the week ended December 5. Adult nonfiction and juvenile nonfiction led the way with increases of 19.7% and 19.5%, respectively. Barack Obama’s A Promised Land remained the top seller in the week, selling nearly 325,000 copies at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Two newly released titles also contributed to the increase in adult nonfiction sales—Bag Man by Rachel Maddow sold over 46,000 copies and The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson sold more than 36,000 copies.

Gannett Co., Inc. announced that from the beginning of the fourth quarter through the end of this week, the Company will have repaid approximately $647 million of its 11.5% term loan, reducing the outstanding balance to $1.082 billion. The sources of funds for the $647 million of repayment are: $497 million of proceeds from the Company’s issuance of 6% senior secured convertible notes due 2027; Approximately $135 million of real estate and other non-core asset sales; and Approximately $15 million of excess cash sweeps. “We are pleased to be closing the year having made significant progress to improve our capital structure. The actions we have taken to date have lowered our interest payments by $45 million annually. Our asset sales have accelerated our debt repayment expectations and have increased our confidence in our ability to refinance the remaining term loan during the first half of 2021,” said Michael Reed, Gannett Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, revenue trends have continued to improve, which we expect will drive strong fourth quarter results and set us up to start the year with strong momentum. Our real estate sales pipeline and amortization payments are expected to further reduce debt by approximately $100 million by early 2021.”

Bookstore sales fell 27.8% in October compared to 2019, according to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Sales were $446 million, down from $618 million in October 2019. The October decline was nearly identical to the drop reported in September, when bookstore sales fell 27.7% compared to the previous year—suggesting that, for the moment, bookstore sales appeared to have stabilized, albeit at a rate far below normal levels.

The Association of American Publishers released its StatShot report for October 2020 reflecting reported revenue for all tracked categories, including Trade (Consumer Books), K-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses. Total revenues across all categories for October 2020 were up 7.3% as compared to October 2019, coming in at $1.2 billion. Year-to-date sales were down 1.0% as compared to the first ten months of 2019, with a total of $12.4 billion. Trade (Consumer Books) sales were up 2.4% year-over-year, coming in at $960.6 million. Year-to-date (January-October 2020) Trade sales were up 6.9% as compared to the same period last year, coming in at $6.9 billion. In terms of physical paper format revenues during the month of October, in the Trade (Consumer Books) category, Hardback revenues were down 1.8%, coming in at $456.8 million; Paperbacks were down 0.7%, with $246.3 million in revenue; Mass Market was down 2.7% to $19.8 million; and Board Books were up 19.7%, with $27.0 million in revenue.

McGraw Hill announced that it has entered into a transaction support agreement to address its near-term debt maturities. The contemplated transaction will extend all material debt maturities through late 2024. “Following a strong performance in the critically important back-to-school period, we are pleased to announce a comprehensive refinancing that addresses all near-term debt maturities”, said Garet Guthrie, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. ”The comprehensive refinancing is underpinned by the confidence that lenders and investors have in our business and will allow us to continue to execute on our digital growth strategy and to unlock the potential of learners around the world.”

Condé Nast has made changes to its global content strategy, leadership and structure. It will appoint global leadership teams to its brands to oversee international and U.S. markets. “This new strategic approach to content creation brings an emphasized focus, across the company’s worldwide portfolio of brands, on quality and reach,” reads a company statement. It calls the changes a “complete redesign and investment in editorial operations.” Anna Wintour is now the first global Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast. She will also serve as global editorial director of Vogue, while continuing her oversight of Vogue U.S.

This October, the adult and children’s/young adult segments had polar opposite results—sales of adult books rose 10.2% in the month over 2019, while sales in the children’s/YA category fell 10.2% for publishers that report results to AAP’s StatShot program. Gains in the adult segment were led by an 18.2% increase in sales of trade paperbacks, and both digital formats saw double digit increases as e-book sales rose 13% and downloadable audio sales increased 12% over 2019. Overall, in the first 10 months of 2020, adult trade book sales rose 9.1% over the comparable period in 2019 at publishers who reported sales to AAP.

(subscription required) Holiday book buying kicked into high gear last week, with unit sales of print books jumping 44.3% over the week ended November 29, 2020, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The smallest gain in the week came in young adult fiction, where sales increased 31.2%, whereas the biggest jump was in young adult nonfiction, which had an 86.8% increase. In general, the sales boost came from higher sales of existing titles. For example, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, last year's Barnes & Noble book of the year, saw sales skyrocket to about 138,000 copies last week from just over 14,000 copies in the previous week. Holiday favorite How the Grinch Stole Christmas had a 77% sales jump in the week, with sales nearing 52,000 copies sold.

It seemed impossible that the acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House the day before Thanksgiving could be overshadowed by a bigger industry event, but that is what happened when book publishing’s long-running trade show and convention, most recently known as BookExpo, was canceled. As the buzz about the end of BookExpo has cooled down, industry members continue to digest the news of PRH’s pending purchase of S&S, the nation’s largest and third-largest trade book publishers, respectively. When the acquisition was announced, the Authors Guild, the American Booksellers Association, and the Association of American Literary Agents (formerly the AAR) all issued statements that were critical of the deal. While each organization had a particular take, all shared one thing in common: they were concerned about the increasing consolidation within trade publishing. The Authors Guild, which called the 2012 Random House–Penguin merger “unsettling,” took a tougher stance in PRH’s S&S purchase, saying that, for authors, the reduction of the Big Five to Big Four would leave “fewer competing bidders for their manuscripts, which would inevitably drive down advances offered.”

To collectively fight against climate change and advance equity in the industry, REI Co-op is engaging its more than 1,000 brand partners to advance more sustainable and inclusive business practices. The REI Product Impact Standards include the co-op’s expectations for how brands are addressing carbon reduction, inclusive marketing practices and cultural designs in the products they make and sell to REI. The standards first launched in 2018 as a way for REI to advance sustainability across the industry and have expanded to include additional areas of impact. The standards also include voluntary product certifications, known as preferred attributes, which includes recognition for products that are certified to Climate Neutral, bluesign, or other leading standards supporting organic ingredients, recycled materials or fair trade. REI is committing that, by 2030, all products on its shelves will have a preferred attribute so that every purchase at REI supports a healthier, cleaner, more equitable planet. “The products we carry represent our values and one of our greatest opportunities to support better ways of doing business in our industry,” said Chris Speyer, REI vice president of product. “We want our members and customers to shop with confidence, knowing that the products they purchase at REI are helping build a better future for the people and places they love.”

The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) has come to us requesting specific company information about how our members have been impacted since the Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair in June 2018. This study will go to Members of Congress and will help make the case for legislative relief from the punishing complexity, cost and liabilities being imposed on remote sellers. So far, several members of ACMA's Tax Committee have stepped up with their case studies, showing in detail the kind of financial hardship the Wayfair decision has had on their businesses. Please help with our goal being to get Federal legislation passed so you don't have more than dozens of states chasing after you for back taxes, audits, and other liabilities. Our help in this crucial GAO report will go a long way toward reaching this vital goal. Click read more below for important directions to share your input.

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another, best express the mood for Pantone Color of the Year 2021. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly. A message of happiness supported by fortitude, the combination of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is aspirational and gives us hope. We need to feel that everything is going to get brighter – this is essential to the human spirit.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Highlights: *Adobe achieved record quarterly revenue of $3.42 billion in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, which represents 14 percent year-over-year growth. Diluted earnings per share was $4.64 on a GAAP basis, and $2.81 on a non-GAAP basis. *GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter was $1.22 billion, and non-GAAP operating income was $1.54 billion. GAAP net income was $2.25 billion, and non-GAAP net income was $1.36 billion. *Cash flows from operations were a record $1.78 billion. *Adobe repurchased approximately 1.6 million shares during the quarter.

Costco Wholesale Corporation announced its operating results for the first quarter (twelve weeks) of fiscal 2021, ended November 22, 2020. Net sales for the first quarter increased 16.9 percent, to $42.35 billion from $36.24 billion last year. Net income for the quarter was $1,166 million, or $2.62 per diluted share, compared to $844 million, or $1.90 per diluted share, last year. This year’s first quarter included tax benefits of $145 million or $0.33 per diluted share, $0.16 of which was due to the deductibility of the $10 per share special cash dividend, to the extent received by the Company’s 401(k) plan participants; and $0.17 cents related to stock-based compensation. Last year’s first quarter included a $77 million or $0.17 per diluted share tax benefit related to stock-based compensation. This year’s results reflect an expense for COVID-19 premium wages of $212 million pre-tax or $0.35 per diluted share.

Paper and the holidays go together like marshmallows and hot cocoa. From greeting cards and paper crafts to special stories and letters to Santa, much of the holiday magic and wonder we enjoy comes from the paper products we use each year. This year, while many people are forgoing parties and family gatherings out of health concerns, paper traditions can take on even greater importance. Check out these creative ways to make holiday magic with paper. Holiday Cards; Paper Packaging; Gift Wrap; Holiday Crafts. How will you use paper to create holiday magic this year? Find us on social media @DomtarEveryday and share your favorite paper-based holiday traditions.

The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Valentine’s Day Look Book is here, helping gift-givers find the perfect expression of love for all the sweethearts in their lives. This annual guide includes thoughtful, playful, and romantic gift ideas, such as one-of-a-kind floral arrangements and preserved roses from 1-800-Flowers.com®, customized keepsakes for everyone (including pets!) from PersonalizationMall.com®, prepared gourmet meals and indulgent desserts from Harry & David®, plus chocolate truffles, baked goods and buttercream frosted treats from Simply Chocolate®, Wolferman’s Bakery®, and Cheryl’s Cookies®. With suggestions for planning the ultimate date night at home, gifts for the littlest loves, and perfect presents for him, the company’s family of brands have everything needed to make a lasting impression this Valentine’s Day.

Amazon announced 26 new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects totaling 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of electricity production capacity, bringing its total investment in renewable energy in 2020 to 35 projects and more than 4 GW of capacity — the largest corporate investment in renewable energy in a single year. These new projects will make Amazon the largest-ever corporate purchaser of renewable energy. Amazon has now invested in 6.5 GW of wind and solar projects that will enable the company to supply its operations with more than 18 million megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy annually. This is enough to power 1.7 million U.S. homes for one year. These projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfillment centers, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers that support millions of customers globally. They will also help advance Amazon’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its business by 2040. Part of that commitment is powering Amazon’s infrastructure with 100% renewable energy, and the company is now on a path to achieve this milestone by 2025, five years ahead of the initial 2030 target.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gave an early Christmas present to debt collectors, at the expense of the very consumers they are mandated to protect. Ignoring a mountain of public comments from citizens, cyber security experts and consumer advocacy groups including Keep Me Posted (KMP) detailing the multitude of harms and risks unleashed by its proposed rules, the Bureau plowed ahead and finalized a sweeping deregulation that will subject society to an unwelcome digital deluge of menace and fraud. Under the guise of so-called modernization, the CFPB will give the green light to 3rd-party debt collectors to exploit Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter messaging — as well as emails and text messaging — in their bounty hunting efforts. The new rules would further allow for an unlimited quantity of such unsolicited digital contacting — while simultaneously expanding the frequency of phone calls to 7 times per week per alleged debt. Meanwhile, the safe, secure and discreet practice of mailing paper letters will remain an option for professional firms seeking reliable communications options. To be clear, America’s consumers did not ask for this. And they will not even be given the option to opt-in to any such digital communications they might prefer.

Simon & Schuster president and CEO Jonathan Karp has acquired a new book to be written by veteran investigative reporter and bestselling author Bob Woodward and fellow Washington Post political reporter Robert Costa. The book will examine the last days of the Trump presidency and the beginning of the Biden administration. Woodward and Costa were represented by Robert Barnett, who negotiated the deal with Karp. S&S acquired world, audio, and first series rights to the book. Karp will also edit the book, which is untitled and has no publication date.

Second Quarter Summary: *GAAP Results: Revenue of $491 million (+5%) and EPS of $1.22 (+54%) *Research Publishing & Platforms (at constant currency): Revenue +5% and Adjusted EBITDA +14% on strong double-digit growth in Open Access *Academic & Professional Learning: Revenue for Education Publishing marginally ahead of prior year as accelerated growth in digital content and courseware more than offset decline in print books *Education Services: Second Quarter and First Half Adjusted EBITDA margin of 21% and 17%, trending ahead of FY22 target of 15%