Harry Potter and the Retailers' Joy

Harry Potter is a young wizard in more ways than one, as he is providing a boost to retailers everywhere.

Nearly every retailer reported record sales for the first weekend of the books' release.

Barnes and Noble reported 280,000 copies sold during the first hour of sales Saturday morning, from midnight to 1 a.m.

On the first day, the company said it sold 896,000 copies. That number easily surpassed 1 million by the time the book was released for 48 hours.

Borders Books and Music, another of the nation's largest book stores, said that 750,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were sold at the company's 1,200 stores, which include Waldenbooks stores. It was the largest first-day sales figure for any title in the company's history.

The Web site amazon.com, another of the nation's top retailers, reported shipping more than 1 million copies for distribution around the world on the first day.

According to some business reports, more than 5 million copies of the fifth book in author JK Rowling's series were sold on the first day, believed to be a one-day record for any title.

Many large retailers used the book to also help boost sales of other Harry Potter merchandise, including DVDs and action figures. The release of the book was much anticipated after a three-year break from the release of the fourth book.

Retailers will also get a Harry Potter boost next year at this time, when it has been reported the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, will be made into a movie. The fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is reportedly scheduled to make it's big screen debut in November, 2005.