- 3 for 2 on Commentaries at Eden
- Christian Focus enters the Blogosphere
- Easter with IVP
- Living Oasis: Where is the humanity?
- Newcastle Cathedral Gift Shop Closure
- St Andrew Press now with Norwich Books & Music
GOT NEWS? If you have news you’d like to see included in the next News Roundup, please get in touch.
Eden Commentaries Offer
3 for 2 on Commentaries at Eden
AFTER REPORTING Wesley Owen’s 25% off all commentaries last time around, I feel almost morally obliged to give Eden’s latest offer a mention too: 3 for 2 on selected commentaries; but it’s a fantastic offer in and of its own right, and if you go there and make a purchase via this link, you’ll help raise funds to support this site as well.
If you’re an independent bookseller/retailer wondering how you can possibly compete with this sort of offer, my suggestion is get together with a few other independents and form a buyers’ group: you are stronger together, weaker apart; but the only way to turn that into a reality is by actively doing something about it. Discuss…
Christian Focus enters the Blogosphere
LAUNCHED LAST MONTH and aptly named Christian Focus BookNotes, the new blog from Christian Focus is all about their books. It’s a blog worth watching:
Never a company to settle for half-measures, you’ll also find Christian Focus on facebook, twitter and, of course, YouTube. Go on, hit that facebook Like button: you know you want to!
IVP Easter Sale 2011 (pdf download)
Easter with IVP
IF THERE’S ONE THING you can always rely on in the UK Christian book trade, it’s outstanding seasonal offers from IVP, and their latest Easter offering doesn’t disappoint.
The offer runs from 1st March to 30th April 2011: take any mix of 20 or more titles from a selection of Easter bestsellers and benefit from special trade prices set to allow you to offer your customers reduced prices (ranging from £2 to £8 off) whilst still retaining a standard trade margin. Full details available from the trade section of their website: pdf download.
Living Oasis: Where is the humanity?
THIS COMMENT, left late on Thursday evening by Mrs Diane Hellyer, seems to epitomise everything that’s gone wrong with Living Oasis:
I have been associated with the Christian book trade for over fifteen years and have worked as a volunteer in five different shops in that time, most recently in Sutton Living Oasis. From what I understand of the situation, it is totally shocking how this closure has been handled by the Chairman and the Trustees. That no HR support was offered and no face to face meeting arranged, but that staff were informed of the impending closure by telephone is surely a lack of care and an undervaluing of the staff, the company’s greatest resource. It may not have been commercially viable to maintain a Christian witness in the high street, but under any circumstances the manner of the closure could, and should, have given a clear Christian witness as to the value placed upon the individual.
For the record, I have already raised similar concerns directly with both Andy Twilley and Simon Hole, Nationwide Christian Trust’s Resource Manager, and have now forwarded this comment personally to Ray George himself. As yet I have received no reply…
Newcastle Cathedral Gift Shop Closure
Also on a sad note, the demise of Newcastle Cathedral’s gift shop. I’m told that the shop had just begun to extend its range of books but alas, financial constraints win out yet again. The closure does seem, however, to have been much better handled than the recent Living Oasis closures, with public tribute paid to the shop staff and volunteers. From the Dean’s February newsletter:
There is on the other hand a great deal of sadness over the closure of the Gift Shop. I would want to pay tribute to the staff and volunteers who over the years have shown enormous commitment to this enterprise, played an important part in welcoming visitors to the Cathedral and done their level best to make it work. However the sad fact is that the Shop has been losing money for many years and Chapter felt such a situation was no longer sustainable. The move to Mosley Street certainly did nothing to revive the Shop’s fortunes but was not the cause of its demise. Chapter is not ruling out re-opening a shop in the future. The issue is what, when and where? We will keep the situation under review and assess the feasibility of any new enterprise in the light of the success of the wider development programme. In the meanwhile there will be sale of stock and any shop furnishings that can’t be used will be “mothballed” . Some souvenirs and small items will continue to be sold in the cafe. Meanwhile there will be a party to celebrate the hard work of our shop volunteers and all that the shop has done on February 18th.
St Andrew Press now with Norwich Books & Music
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: if you’ve been used to ordering St Andrew Press (Church of Scotland) titles from Marston, those days are over. St Andrew Press is now part of the Hymns Ancient & Modern stable of church publishing houses and stock needs to be ordered from Norwich Books & Music.
