"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" sold 812,000 in Canada over the weekend, representing a 25 per cent increase over the previous book in the Harry Potter series, according to its Canadian publisher.
"The sales have been phenomenal over the weekend. It really has surprised everybody," Jamie Broadhurst vice-president of marketing of Raincoast Books, the Canadian publisher of the Harry Potter series told CTV.ca.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released at one minute past midnight on Saturday to fans across the country anxiously awaiting the final book in the series on the boy wizard and was immediately flying out of bookstores.
Broadhurst indicated that the sales of the book in many of the book retail outlets were around 25 per cent higher than the sales for the last Potter book released to bookstores.
In 2005, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' sold 650,000 copies in its first weekend.
The numbers for the sales of the book have been breaking records all over the world.
In the United States, it was reported that 8.3 million copies of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" were sold in the first 24 hours of its release making it the fastest-selling book ever. British publisher Bloomsbury has estimated that three million copies of the book were sold in the first 24 hours.
Overall, Nielsen BookScan estimated that 72.1 million books had been purchased around the world over the weekend.
According to Lisa Huie, manager of public relations at Indigo Books and Music, the book was on its way to becoming the bestselling title in the store's history.
"To keep it in context the best-selling book in Canada is usually defined somewhere around 5,000 to 10,000 (hardcover) copies," Broadhurst said. "We're looking to sell through somewhere...between (600,000) and 700,000 copies in the first 48 hours, so it really defies all conventions within publishing."
Broadhurst said sales were strong across the country -- including Quebec. A French version of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will not be available until October.
The indication from fans of the Harry Potter series is that actual book is living up to the sales figures and the hype surrounding its release.
Many readers staged marathon reading sessions over the weekend to find out what happens at the end of the series and have not been disappointed by the outcome.
"I feel that it was a good sense of wrapping everything up," Harry Potter fan Rachel Murden told CTV's Canada AM. "I feel that all your questions were answered and that everyone will be completely satisfied with the ending."
With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
