Penguin Random House UK has proposed closing its third-party distribution center in Grantham in 2025 due to rising costs and “supply chain challenges”, the Bookseller reports. The warehouse handles distribution for more than 40 publishers and has a staff of approximately 200, who are at risk of being laid off. In an email to staff, […]
International News
Booktopia to Cut Staff and Expenses
Australian retailer Booktopia announced that it would cut 30 to 40 jobs (or 10 to 15 percent of employees) and implement other cost-cutting plans, “to improve shareholder returns and in response to changing consumer sentiment, greater competition online and inflation.” A company spokesperson told the Brisbane Times that the layoffs are predominantly in “administrative roles.” […]
Russian IBBY Award President Resigns Amid Criticism
Hans Christian Andersen Award jury president Anastasia Arkhipova has resigned from the 2024 award committee. Reuters reports that Arkhipova, a Russian illustrator, is on the board of the Moscow Branch of Artists Association of Russia (MOCX), which last year ran a contest for artists to create Russian war propaganda. After Arkhipova was elected to the […]
PRH UK Gives Lowest Paid Staff 9% “Pay Awards”
PRH UK has given its staff earning £30,000 and under a 5 percent raise as well as a one-time payment of 4 percent, to combat inflation. Those earning £30,000-£50,000 will get a 5 percent raise and a 1 percent one-time payment; those in the £50,000-£80,000 a 4 percent raise and a 1 percent payment; and […]
EU Finalizes Amazon Antitrust Settlements
As previewed earlier in the month, the European Union announced the final “commitments” made by Amazon to avoid further enforcement action, including fines. As indicated earlier, within the EU Amazon will make the Buy Box more competitive, allow third-party merchants to participate in Prime while using outside logistics providers, and block Amazon from using internal […]
Hodder-Williams Launches Bedford Square Publishers, with “Adaptable Publishing Model”
Two UK publishing executives have launched a new publisher and acquired a small press. Bedford Square Publishers is run by former Hodder & Stoughton CEO Jamie Hodder-Williams, who left the company in the spring, and former John Murray sales strategy director Laura Fletcher, and they will publish 30 titles in their first year in “reading […]