Waterstones is in discussions to purchase Blackwell’s, Sky News reports. The 18-store UK chain confirmed it is in a period of exclusivity with an unnamed purchaser to negotiate a deal. Waterstones is said to be pursuing the acquisition on a solvent basis, and it is expected that such a deal would require regulatory approval. The Blackwell family has owned the operation since its founding in 1879.
Bookstores
Bookselling: Parthenon Books To Open In Syracuse
Parthenon Books will open in downtown Syracuse, NY, becoming the city’s first independent bookstore in 30 years. The opening is planned for April 1, though Syracuse.com reports that “the exact date could vary depending on the availability of construction supplies.”
Bookselling: Joseph Fox Bookshop To Close
Philadelphia’s Joseph Fox Bookshop will close on January 29 after 70 years. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that business has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The store was founded in 1951 by Joseph Fox, with Michael Fox and his wife Judi Fox taking over in 1998. Michael Fox, 69, told the Inquirer, “I’m old enough that I felt it was time to retire. I feel sad for my customers, I do. I feel sad for the city, that they’re losing a good bookstore.”
Bookselling: Barnes & Noble Opens Replacement Store Outside of Cincinnati
Originally expected in November 2021, on January 19 Barnes & Noble will open a new Cincinnati-area store at Deerfield Towne Center in Mason. It takes the place of a store two miles away in Waterstone Center [no irony] that closed last August.
Bookselling: Dayton Mall B&N to Close
The Barnes & Noble in Dayton Mall in Ohio is slated to close on February 13. The store wrote on its Facebook page that the landlord “is redeveloping this site and has opted not to renew [their] lease.” Barnes & Noble is “in active discussions” to find another Dayton location for a replacement store, according to Dayton.com, and are crowdsourcing suggestions from customers.
Politics and Prose Workers Successfully Unionize
The Politics and Prose employees’ union has been officially recognized, the store and UFCW Local 400 announced in a joint statement. Store owners Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine and the union will now negotiate a contract. According to DCist, Graham and Muscatine voluntarily recognized the union, which has 54 members in three store locations, on December 31 after previously deciding they would wait until a formal vote. In a release, Graham and Muscatine said: “As stewards of a local, independent business with a 37-year legacy of progressive management and mission, we’ve valued collaborating with employees to solve problems and address […]