Labels look to autumn as deliveries dip. (Classical news).

Classical trade deliveries declined sharply in the first half of 2002, according to the BPI's most recent figures, producing a consequent increase in the level of returns to companies. The volume of shipments dropped by 12% in the first six months of the year, despite the release of high-profile titles such as Classical Graffiti from Mike Batt's The Planets and the Operababes' debut album, Beyond Imagination.

Despite the downturn in the volume of titles shipped, the value of annual classical deliveries has dipped by less than 1%. In June 2001 the classical market yielded a trade value of 66.1m [pounds sterling], a significant rise on the figure for June 2000 of 58.7m [pounds sterling]. During the 12 months from June 2001 to June this year, classical sales amounted to 65.5m [pounds sterling], an annual dip of 0.9%. In the same period the number of units sold fell by 1.6% from 15.3m to 15.1m, still considerably ahead of the 13.1m units sold in the year to June 2000.

"In order for the classical market to record anything better than zero growth in 2002 as a whole," says the BPI's August 22 Market Information Bulletin, "sales value will need to rise by more than 10% in the second half of 2002." Poor summer trading conditions mean that classical business will have to be brisk in the essential autumn and Christmas retail periods. Key releases from the majors, aggressively marketed, should help boost the classical market's calendar year performance.