The Bookseller.com

12th October 2008

Grindley shuts up shop after 61 years

21.01.08 Graeme Neill

Martin Grindley, one of the best known figures in the independent trade, is to close his shop in Essex on Saturday. Grindley Books has been trading in Leigh-On-Sea for 61 years. It was opened by Grindley’s mother in 1946 and he took control of the business in 1990.

He blamed the closure on a "general background of attrition" for the urban independent bookselling market. "With supermarkets now on our doorstep and chains a few miles away I feel they contributed to a gradual attrition of our business," he said.

"A lot of our older customers have not been replaced by the post-graduate 25-35 year olds. Twenty years ago they were the base that Waterstone’s build their success on but they are not buying books in the same way any more. They are preferring the internet and that has affected us like it has affected any other bookseller."

Grindley said that the shop had success this year with the Harry Potter launch and a recent Dame Helen Mirren signing that saw 500 copies of her book sold at full price. "It earned us more than £10,000 turnover but we were still down on last year."

The former president of the Booksellers Association said that he had no immediate plans in bookselling once the store closes. "Sailing, travelling, reading and spending time with my family," he said. "That’s not a bad place to go to and I am looking forward to it. If I was 20 years younger I would be worried but I've had a fascinating career."

Graeme Neill Martin Grindley

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