Books-A-Million, Inc. Announces Holiday Comparable Store Sales Increase of 10.4%.

Business Editors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2000

Books-A-Million, Inc. (Nasdaq/NM:BAMM) today announced that sales for the nine-week period ended January 1, 2000, increased 16.7% to $106.8 million from $91.6 million for the same period in fiscal 1999. Comparable store sales for the same nine-week period increased 10.4%.

For the first eleven months of fiscal 2000, sales increased 15.5% to $373.0 million from $322.9 million in the same period a year ago. Comparable store sales for the first eleven months of fiscal 2000 increased 8.3%. The final results for the year ending January 29, 2000, will be released mid-March 2000.

Commenting on the results, Clyde B. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our comparable store sales during the holiday period were outstanding. This performance builds on the positive trend of the past three quarters and gives us our best eleven-month comparable sales results in recent years. We saw strength in our core book business and continued to exploit opportunities such as those we found in the collectibles category."

Mr. Anderson continued, "Booksamillion.com also experienced a very successful holiday selling season. Sales results and the growth in new customers exceeded our expectations. Our distribution facility and our development team handled the growth in volume admirably. Also, on New Years Day, Wal-Mart officially launched its redesigned Web site and we began fulfilling their book orders immediately."

Books-A-Million is one of the nation's leading book retailers and sells on the Internet at www.booksamillion.com. The company presently operates 182 stores in 17 states. The Company operates four distinct store formats, including large superstores operating under the names Books-A-Million and Books & Co., traditional bookstores and combination book and greeting card stores, both operating under the name Bookland, and Joe Muggs Newsstands.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results, performance, achievements of the Company, or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the competitive environment in the book retail industry in general and in the Company's specific market area; inflation; economic conditions in general and in the Company's specific market areas; the number of store openings and closings; the profitability of certain product lines, capital expenditures and future liquidity; liability and other claims asserted against the Company; uncertainties related to Year 2000 issues; uncertainties related to the Internet and the Company's Internet initiative; and other factors referenced herein. In addition, such forward-looking statements are necessarily dependent upon assumptions, estimates and dates that may be incorrect or imprecise and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements included herein do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized. Given these uncertainties, shareholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligations to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments.