HarperCollins’ parent company News Corp. reported fiscal fourth quarter earnings on the Thursday. The publisher saw sales decline only 3 percent, down by $12 million to $407 million. As with Simon & Schuster’s report in the morning, Harper increased earnings even as sales fell, with EBITDA of $47 million, compared to $43 million a year ago. The company said the earnings rise was “primarily due to cost savings and the mix of titles.” Sales were supported by “a great performance from our children’s division,” with books for children in high demand during the lockdown. Digital sales rose 26 percent in […]
Earnings Reports
Simon & Schuster Profits Rose, As Sales Fell 8 Percent
ViacomCBS reported second quarter earnings on Thursday morning, with publisher Simon & Schuster recording sales of $200 million for the period, down 8 percent from $218 million a year ago. But expenses were also lower so profits (OIBDA) rose, to $38 million, up from $35 million a year ago. The company said the 8 percent decline in the topline was “primarily driven by lower print book sales as a result of the impact of COVID-19, partially offset by growth in sales of electronic and digital audiobooks.” (That’s roughly in line with the 10 percent decline in the quarter reported this […]
HMH Sales Fell 35 Percent In Q2, with Trade Declining 10 Percent
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reported earnings for the second quarter ending June 30. At HMH Books & Media, net sales were $35.2 million, down from $39.1 million. The 10 percent decline was “primarily due to lower net sales of both adult and young reader’s categories due to the closure of bookstores during the COVID-19 crisis and the corresponding delay in releases of new frontlist titles.” The net loss of $(1.8) million was an improvement from the loss of $(5.4) million last year’s Q2, largely due to improved margins and decreased selling and administration expense, thanks to “lower discretionary spending and labor […]
Corporate: WH Smith Expects to Lay Off 1,500 Employees
WH Smith issued a brief trading update today to accompany proposals that would restructure their UK stores to lay off approximately 1500 employees across the business, with both Travel and High Street businesses facing a long, slow recovery from the pandemic. The cost of the plan is estimated at £15 million to £19 million pounds and they are in consultation with the employees. (In early July the Bookseller confirmed that the company was already in consultation to layoff 150 people at their head offices in London and Swindon.) Though High Street sales have improved gradually as lockdown restrictions eased, they […]
Hudson Permanently Lays Off 40 Percent of Staff with Bleak Outlook for Travel
The travel retailer and bookseller Hudson reported earnings for the second quarter ending June 30, 2020, with sales of just $62 million, an 88 percent decline from $510 million a year ago on worldwide airport store closures due to the pandemic. Like-for-like sales were $53 million, a decline of 82 percent. Sales of literature and publications fared even worse, declining 93 percent to $2.6 million, down from $39.9 million last year’s second quarter. In a new “reduction in workforce,” the company has permanently laid off nearly 40 percent of its team, both corporate and field staff, effective July 31. An […]
Corporate: LSC’s Book Printing Sales Decline 32 Percent, HBG Celebrates Meyer Pre-Orders, Bloomsbury to Issue Dividend Shares
LSC Communications, operating under bankruptcy protection and set to auction its assets next month, reported second quarter results for the period ending July 31 on Thursday. Book printing sales comprised $198 million, a decline of $91 million from $289 million a year ago, down almost 32 percent, “primarily due to lower volume which was partially caused by the impact of COVID-19 and a $25 million decrease in pass-through paper sales.” The company said the decrease in book printing sales was mainly from lower “educational book volumes due to the uncertainty around school openings. Demand for trade books remained strong, but […]