News: retail

SelfMadeHero launches Draw Your Bookshop lockdown campaign

Graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero is launching a social media campaign calling for artists to support bookshops with a drawing of their favourite store. Read more

BA Conference moves to September 2021

The next Booksellers Association Conference and Gardners Trade Show will take place on 12th and 13th September 2021 at Jurys Inn Hotel and Conference Centre, Hinckley Island.... Read more

Total book sales fell 11% in first-half, PA stats show

Total book sales across the industry fell by 11% in the first six months of 2020, despite a big increase for fiction and a surge... Read more

National Book Tokens' hidden book brainteaser returns

National Book Tokens’ annual brainteaser the Hidden Books Game has returned for its eighth year, giving participants the chance to win a year's supply of books.... Read more

WHS makes loss in pandemic year as revenues plunge

W H Smith made a headline loss of £68m in the year to end August 2020, according to its preliminary annual results released today (Thursday... Read more

Daunt warns 'Today' programme of Christmas threat to indies

Waterstones m.d. James Daunt has reiterated his claims bookshops should be considered essential retailers and warned some indies will go out of business if they... Read more

Online retailer Bookshop.org generates £100k for indies in nine days

Online retailer Bookshop.org has generated more than £100,000 in profit for indie booksellers in just nine days of trading, with 25,000 customers using the website.... Read more

EC brings anti-trust charges against Amazon

European Union regulators have brought anti-trust charges against Amazon, accusing the retail giant of using sensitive data from the third-party sellers who use its marketplace to gain unfair advantage... Read more

S&S revenues up 29% in third quarter

Worldwide sales at Simon & Schuster have leapt by 29% in the third quarter, increasing from $217m in the same period in 2019, to $279m this year. ... Read more

Online retailer Bookshop racks up £415k sales in launch week

In its first week of operation in the UK, website Bookshop.org has sold £415,000 worth of books to more than 20,000 customers. Read more

Hachette backs bookshops' online sales of Rowling's Ickabog

Hachette Children's Books has said the publisher will be "pivoting" promotional plans for J K Rowling's The Ickabog to support closed bookshops.... Read more

Stanfords launches crowdfunder as coronavirus puts future in 'grave danger'

London map and travel book specialist Stanfords has launched a £120,000 crowdfunding campaign and warned that the coronavirus crisis has put its future in “grave... Read more

McAnulty, Bennett and O’Farrell make Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist

Dara McAnulty, Brit Bennett and Maggie O’Farrell are among the authors shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2020 title. Read more

S&S launches regional campaign for Thomas' Firewatching

Simon & Schuster is launching a billboard campaign in Sheffield to promote Russ Thomas' debut novel Firewatching. Read more

Click and collect might not suit us all, say indie bookshops

Indie bookshop owners and managers are gearing up for a second lockdown with optimism, though some are divided over the viability of click and collect services.... Read more