Lonely Planet will layoff a significant number of employees in multiple locations. The company said “its operations in London and Melbourne [will] close almost entirely, with impacts in other Lonely Planet locations around the world,” according to communications manager Adam Bennett. Managing director for publishing Piers Pickard said in an email seen by Books+Publisher that “significant numbers of roles are affected globally.” A source tells the Sydney Morning Herald that “up to 80 people would lose their jobs in Australia, ” with only three people said to be retained there. And “according to Pickard, staff in Dublin, London, Melbourne and […]
International News
Corporate: In the UK Furlough Is A Gentler Word, WH Smith Reports Deep Declines, Amazon’s Expanded Focus Includes Children’s Books
Hachette UK and Bonnier Books UK are furloughing approximately 10 percent of their staff, the Bookseller reports, and Penguin Random House UK will do the same with an unspecified percentage of their workforce, but furlough is a gentler process in the UK than it is in the US. For Britains, furlough means a temporary layoff under which the government covers 80 percent of wages through the end of May. All three publishers have said they have elected to “top up” the salaries of furloughed employees, so that they will receive full wages. In the US, a furlough means a temporary […]
Closings, Suspensions, Appeals
The UK’s major independent book wholesaler Gardner’s has temporarily suspended new orders for physical product, as they move to protect their employees: ” The safety and well-being of our amazing workforce is the primary reason for making this decision.” Existing orders will still be processed and they are “working hard to clear all outstanding orders over the coming days.” The company adds, “We will be looking to see what key services we can turn back on as soon as possible, and will be updating all our customers and suppliers on regular basis as to the progress we are making.” Please, […]
WH Smith Changes Position and Will Close Many of Their Stores
Following Monday’s closure of Waterstones stores across the UK, competitor WH Smith will close approximately 60 percent of their high street bookstores as well. Initially the company resisted closing any locations, with employees complaining about the risks to the media (“It’s putting the general public and ourselves at risk. We don’t want to be there, but we feel like we have to”). But after a televised address by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night, the chain announced it would close many stores, while keeping open locations that provide Post Office services and other key support functions: “At this critical […]
International: Bloomsbury Performance “In Line with Expectations,” Some Orders from China Resume, and More
Bloomsbury offered a brief trading update, in advance of their full annual results May 20. Performance for the fiscal year ended February 29 is “in line with the Board’s expectations,” and “Bloomsbury’s financial position is strong with net cash of £31 million at 29 February 2020,” even after having paid £1.2 million for the acquisition of Oberon Books this past December. The release says: “It is unclear how coronavirus will affect our numbers as it is early in the new financial year. There is disruption to bookshops, online retailers and academic institutions, whilst on the other hand, reading books, including […]
Hachette Still Wants to Publish Woody Allen, At Least In France
Following Friday’s cancellation of Woody Allen’s memoir A Propos of Nothing by Hachette Book Group, at least some of the international licensees expressed their intention — or desire — to go forward with publication. Most prominently, Hachette’s Editions Stock wants to proceed. Director of the imprint Manuel Carcassonne told Le Point: “The American situation is not ours. Woody Allen is a great artist, filmmaker, writer, and his New York Jewish humor can still be read in every line of this autobiography, in self-mockery, modesty, and the art of disguising the tragic in comedy. Including at his expense. It is sad […]