The Bookseller.com

20th November 2008

Christian chain mulls franchising

22.02.08 Graeme Neill

Mark Brewer, the American chairman of the St Stephen the Great bookshop chain, has raised the possibility of franchising off the 23-store business, saying he would be "happy to listen to offers".
Brewer, speaking from the Cambridge store that he was running in the absence of a manager, praised the Winchester, Truro and Leicester branches, which were purchased by their managers last autumn. "It's a great solution," he said. "[The shops] are all available. We want to try and grow the chain, and the best way to do that is through independent owners. When somebody owns their own business, it's human nature that they tend to do it better. We would listen to offers on the stores we own."

The beleaguered Christian chain has had a tumultuous time since Brewer and his brother Phil took control from SPCK in October 2006. Earlier this month, the Cambridge, Sheffield, Norwich and Lincoln branches closed for "rebranding and restocking", while the Bristol, Exeter and Salisbury stores have been trading on reduced hours since the beginning of February. Cambridge has since begun trading again, and Brewer said that Lincoln and Sheffield would reopen this week.

Publishers have expressed fears about the long-term future of the chain, with some claiming that outstanding bills had not been paid, and others saying they had stopped supplying it with titles. Brewer responded: "We have had some cash flow difficulties, but we have been candid with suppliers. We are committed to trying to keep the chain alive, trading and viable. It takes a lot of nurturing and a lot of support from suppliers, employees and customers to do that."

There have also been a number of staff resignations, mostly in protest over new contracts, with the Exeter branch resigning en masse in October. Brewer said the business "can't survive" if it continues guaranteeing minimum hours to casual staff. "SPCK had about half of its work force on minimum hours, and it was unsustainable," he said.

Shop workers' union Usdaw has called for a meeting with the Brewers to discuss staff grievances. Its general secretary John Hannett said the new contracts were "very worrying". "This dispute is causing a great deal of anxiety among the staff and we are very concerned that many of them will lose their jobs or be forced into jobs that offer fewer rights."

Retail Graeme Neill SPCK SSG

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