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Waterstone’s shop-floor staff are too busy to meet sales representatives, a number of publishers and independent sales forces have claimed.
Sales representatives, particularly those working for independent publishers, said relationships with store staff had become "highly pressurised", with less time for reps to check stocks levels or pitch new titles. One large publisher, who would not be named, likened the situation to a "lock-out", adding that "staff enthusiasm has been compromised".
Waterstone’s made 450 jobs redundant in the summer as it began the roll-out of its centralised hub. The chain has been experiencing supply problems since the rollout, though this week m.d. Gerry Johnson denied that there was a back-log. Alan Jessop, director at Compass DSA, which represents about 40 publishers, said: "Once the staff reductions came in as a result of the hub, that is when it started to become more difficult. It is challenging, but we are working hard with the buyers to meet their and our requirements."
The head of a second sales force, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Waterstone’s is strict on the number of staff in the stores, so in a lot of cases they do not have the time to see reps."
Not all were experiencing the same issues, however. Will Atkinson, sales director at Faber, said: "That landscape has not changed at all this year. Maybe it has for others, but not for us."