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Eason manager says 2009 was "worst year" in memory

01.03.10 | Catherine Neilan

The manager of the flagship Dublin branch of Irish bookseller Eason has described last year as "the worst we've ever experienced", in the wake of news late last week that Hughes & Hughes had entered administration.

According to Irish Publishing News, O’Connell Street manager Martin Black was part of a panel discussion on RTE Radio 1’s The Marian Finucane Show yesterday (28th February).

"I’ve been in the bookselling business for over 30 years and certainly everyone agrees that 2009 was the worst year we’ve ever experienced," he said.

"Bookselling is a very difficult business. It’s different to other retailers in the sense that in the drapery business you can get stock in, hold it there for a few months, but on a daily basis there are new titles coming in.

"One never knows how they are going to go, it’s like throwing wet cement on a wall you don’t know what is going to stick, what the bestseller is going to be and you’ve got to buy in the hope of what you think will appeal."

• Catherine Neilan
• Eason
• Hughes & Hughes
• Ireland
• Retail