BA launches fund to help booksellers reopen The Booksellers Association (BA) launched a £50,000 fund to help its independent members prepare to reopen their bookshops once lockdown restrictions have been lifted. A phased reopening of shops will begin on 1 June, but it is not known whether bookshops will be among them, and the BA…
Bath branch leads the way as W H Smith revamps estate with diversity the focus Changes are afoot at W H Smith’s Bath store, where the shop is the first in a trial of refurbishments for the chain, led by head of books Peter Selby and Al Aldous, outgoing books trading director. The chain’s lucrative…
W H Smith to cull backlist in new books strategy W H Smith plans to cull its backlist and build areas of growth such as children’s and lighter readers with a “forensic store by store focus on space management to optimise the returns from core categories.” A W H Smith spokeswoman told The Bookseller there are plans to “selectively…
W H Smith ‘had planned’ B&N buy-out W H Smith reportedly offered to buy struggling US bookselling chain Barnes & Noble (B&N) last year before the deal fell apart. According to the Wall Street Journal, the UK books and stationary company was B&N’s would-be-buyer described in its ex-head Demos Parneros’s lawsuit against his former employers. The filings had said that…
Apple tells publishers to ‘be ready’ for new audiobooks platform Apple has told publishers to “be ready” as it prepares to roll out its new audiobook platform. At a series of meetings held during the Frankfurt Book Fair, Apple did not disclose a launch date, but indicated that the go-live date was now close. One…
WH Smith unveils bookselling blueprint for the next decade WH Smith has unveiled a new books strategy for its High Street arm, designed to futureproof sales at the 611-strong chain “for the next decade”. With revenue in the High Street business falling year on year, new managing director Carl Cowling has been moved across from…