Some of the news that’s accumulated on a Friday in August: The Australian Competition Commission announced it “would not oppose” Pearson’s acquisition of the bankrupt REDGroup Retail’s online business, including the websites for Borders Australia and Angus & Robertson. saying it “will provide a summary of the reasons for its decision in due course.” Administrators Ferrier Hodgson also said that creditors must lodge any last claims against REDGroup by September 1, with final dividends due to be paid out in October. In addition, any customers still holding Angus & Robertson and Borders gift cards who file claims with administrators will […]
Bookstores
Bookselling: Effect of London Riots; Another Books-A-Million Store Replaces Borders; and More
With the London riots entering their fourth day the effect on bookstores has not been widespread, but some have suffered damage and protective measures are being put in place for others. Gay’s the Word, the country’s only LGBT bookshop, was pelted with eggs and its windows were smashed in on Monday. Pages of Hackney opened for business Tuesday in the east London neighborhood despite the continuing violence, saying in a message on Twitter “Shop is open and all members of staff are undamaged and fit for bookselling….. just about.” Both Waterstone’s and WHSmith have closed stores in several affected neighborhoods, […]
People, Etc.
Carol Nygren has joined Thomas Nelson as evp and managing director of the company’s Live Events business in Plano, TX. Previously she was svp of Licensed Live Family Entertainment, part of the Disney Theatrical Group. In an interview on Waterstone’s intranet obtained by the Bookseller, new owner Alexander Mamut claimed the company’s existence was “important for UK society” though was vague on the specifics of ensuring the chain’s survival beyond saying that “massive work” was necessary: “If we can make a turnaround, improve everything, have good books properly displayed, a good atmosphere, good recommendations [with] marketing and investment of course, […]
Bookselling: Online Store Avid Bookshop Opens Physical Space; New Stores
Online bookseller Avid Bookshop will open a physical store in Athens, GA. The original opening date was set for late 2010, but owner Janet Geddis just recently signed a lease for the space. “We’ve been scheming and dreaming for years,” she told the Athens Banner-Herald, “but even before I wanted a shop, I thought, ‘This spot should be a bookstore. It’s perfect.'” BookSmart, based in Morgan Hill, CA, will open a new branch in Salinas, CA this October in the city’s Steinbeck Center. Monterey County Weekly Rapid City, IA’s new Fifth and Main development project will include a bookstore located […]
Briefs: Sony Has “No Clue” Why Apple Still Rejects iOS Reader Apps; New Bookstores; and More
Apple rejected Sony’s iOS Reader app back in January, and there’s still no sign of it now even though competitors have complied with Apple’s rules prohibiting buy buttons. CNET checked in with Sony reps who claimed they, too, complied with Apple’s rules, but reported the app was still being rejected. “We have no idea why,” the rep said. “It’s an ongoing saga. Stay tuned.” CNET Books-a-Million will also replace Borders in Concord, NC with a tentative opening date of August 25, one week after the chain opens a new store in Erie, PA. Release Changing Hands owner Gayle Shanks told […]
Next Barnes & Noble Leak Spins Towards Liberty Deal Getting Done
Yesterday’s unsourced New York Post story claiming potential trouble in takeover talks between Liberty Media and Barnes & Noble took the bookseller’s stock down over 5 percent at the opening bell. But another wave of news took the stock up in the early afternoon Wednesday and it settled up slightly for the day. (The stock price remained steady in early morning trading.) The WSJ found their own “people familiar with the matter” who assured them that Liberty has completed its due diligence and is “finalizing its offer for the company.” These people say that completion of negotiations could lead to […]