Buddy Saunders, owner of the Lone Star Comics chain based in Arlington, Texas passed on his observations on the sales effect of the rating change for Fallen Angel with the second issue (see 'Buddy Saunders of Lone Star Comics on Fallen Angel' and 'Michael Tierney of the Comic Book Store with a Warning to Retailers'):

In our eight north Texas stores, Fallen Angels first week sales dropped 40% from issue #1 to #2.  Sales on #1 were not restricted.  Sales on #2 were limited to customers 18 or older.  While DC is correct in making Fallen Angels a 'Suggested for Mature Readers' labeled title beginning with issue #3, the change reduces sales potential (comics written by Peter David do not slump in sales after the first issue, so I do not attribute the drop we saw to readers disappointed in #1).  However, with this changed audience pattern in mind, the book now being returnable will be helpful to some retailers.  As always, it is in the best interests of all that publishers inform retailers of content in a timely way (when solicitation occurs), and that comics with content inappropriate for minors be so labeled.  So long as comics with reduced sales due to midstream content changes are returnable, I see no harm to retailers as customers who cannot buy a given title due to content still have plenty of other titles to choose from.