The Bookseller.com

5th December 2008

Blackwell chain goes international

07.03.08 Tom Tivnan and Jo Young

Academic bookseller Blackwell is to launch its retail business overseas for the first time, with a swathe of stores due to open in new universities in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East by the end of 2008.

The company has struck a deal with the private Limkokwing University group to supply its rapidly growing portfolio of university campuses with retail as well as digital and library services.

The partnership will see Blackwell operating a chain of international stores and libraries on several new Limkokwing campuses during the remainder of 2008, the first of which will open in Botswanan capital Gaborone, Lesotho in southern Africa and Phnom Penn in Cambodia. Further campuses will open by the end of the year in Jakarta, the Kuching state in East Malaysia, Beijing, Moscow and Dubai, for which Blackwell will provide retail and library services.

There are also plans to open a new Blackwell store on the site of the established Kuala Lumpur university later in the year.

"What we will offer on each site will be flexible. At the moment we are talking about running either libraries, shops or a combination of both on each campus according to what is required, much as we do with UK universities. The key thing is that they like what we're able to do, which is tailor our offer to what is needed," said Sharon Murray, Blackwell head of central operations.

Founder of the Limkokwing Universities, Dr Lim Kok Wing is a Malaysian entrepreneur who established the first Limkokwing campus in Kuala Lumpur in 1991. The group also includes a London Piccadilly campus, and affiliations with universities in 26 countries. Overall, Limkokwing expects to increase its student enrolment from 16,000 to 32,000 students worldwide within the next two years, with 20 additional campuses earmarked in the US and Australia as well as Asia and Africa.

"Limkokwing is a fantastic brand partner for Blackwell, as they have a vision, creativity and drive that fit with how we want to develop the Blackwell brand. The future plan for this partnership is to offer all four integrated services on campus; our libraries and library supply, and our digital and retail services," said Blackwell commercial director Sue Townsend.

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