The draconian restructuring plan to keep UK bookstore chain TG Jones (FKA WH Smith) operating is expected to win court approval after hearings Monday and Tuesday, as at least some creditor groups have agreed to accept owner Modella Capital’s terms. Unnamed sources have told the media (including the Telegraph, Bloomberg and the Guardian) that “a number of key creditor groups, landlords among them, have accepted TG Jones’ proposal before the court hearing.” Property development company British Land, after loudly objecting, “said it would…abstain from voting following what it described as material concessions from TG Jones to treat landlords more fairly.” […]
International
Storytel Acquires Overamstel
Storytel has acquired Overamstel, based in The Netherlands and Belgium, which they call “one of the company’s core markets.” Founded in 2007, Overamstel had sales of €17.4 million in 2025. Current ceo Martijn Griffioen will continue in his role following the acquisition. Though Storytel’s core business is audio publishing, their book publishing division had record sales for 2025 of SEK1.274 billion, or approximately $130 million.
French Fee On Amazon Book Shipments Survives Final Legal Challenge
France’s Conseil d’Etat, the country’s highest court, ruled on Wednesday in support a law first passed in 2022 that sets a minimum delivery fee of €3 for online book orders of less than €35. The law was designed to support local brick-and-mortar stores from unfair competition from Amazon, which had been charging a delivery fee of only one euro cent on book deliveries. France has long limited book discounting, and in 2014 they banned free shipping on discounted books–leading to Amazon’s minimal charge. Last December, the EU Court of Justice had returned the matter to French courts for further evaluation, […]
Hachette UK Acquires Kogan Page
Hachette UK acquired business book publisher Kogan Page, as of April 30. Founded in 1967, Kogan Page has a backlist of over 1,200 titles covering business, management, marketing, human resources, and professional development. The announcement notes that, “Kogan Page complements Hachette UK’s existing strengths and aligns with the longer-term strategy to diversify into specialist areas.” Kogan Page will operate as part of the John Murray Group where it will be maintained as a “distinct publishing brand within the division.” Founder Philip Kogan died in late 2022. In an obituary, the Guardian noted, “Independent of mind and spirit, he was determined […]
Weltbild: Clarified In Translation
More information on the potential sale of Germany’s Weltbild, which a colleague there calls “the biggest fish to come on to the market” in some time, with sales of approximately 2 billion euros a year, and a market value estimated at about 1 billion euros a year. Holtzbrinck is already a 50-percent owner of Weltbild’s publishing company Droemer and is thought to be interested primarily in that piece of the empire. Separately, Weltbild is a 50-percent partner with Hugendubel in a holding company that operates multiple bookstore chains, including Hugendubel, Weltbild plus and Jokers, and most recently, they took over […]
Holtzbrinck and Thalia Eye Weltbild Acquisition
Germany’s newspapers FAZ and Handelsblatt report that both Holztbrinck and the Thalia book chain are interested in bidding to buy the Weltbild publishing group. Holtzbrinck and Thalia currently own Netherlands-based online book distributor bol.com and publisher Droemer Knaur together. Thomson reports, “Weltbild said over the weekend that it wants to change and expand its structure but that there are no plans to break up nor sell its units.” Holtzbrinck deputy md Jochen Gutbrod acknowledged his company’s potential interest; Thalia did not comment. Thomson Financial