21/12/2009: The official press release is now out and no further updates to this page will be posted. Comments remain open.
From Wesley Owen Edinburgh’s facebook page, posted on Friday 18/12/2009 at 21.14:
We are now in administration and will be closing shortly. As will almost all of the Wesley Owen shops. I thank you all so much for your support and can I ask you to pray for all of the staff that received the devastating news today at 5.35.
As for STL’s other divisions, sources elsewhere (contacts on facebook and twitter, who have since removed their status updates) indicate that Koorong and Kingsway (David C Cook) have taken on Authentic, with Koorong taking over the books publishing, Kingsway taking over the music. Koorong may have also taken on some of the Wesley Owen stores [2]. There is as yet no reliable information about STL Distribution [1], but I’m told that an official press release will be issued on Monday 21st December.
This is surely one of the saddest days in the history of Christian bookselling/retailing here in the UK. As per the request from Edinburgh, please pray for all the staff caught up in this mess.
- Dave Walker has also posted about this briefly on the Church Times blog: Wesley Owen Christian bookshops in administration – updated 20/11/2009 with more facebook links: Bath | Cheltenham
- Twitter searches: Koorong | Wesley Owen
- Some Staff Reactions
- The Bookseller: Wesley Owen stores enter administration
[1] Update, 4.15pm: From Everything Christian, Big changes at Christian book supplier:
STL Distribution has been purchased by Scottish book wholesaler John Ritchie. However, it isn’t clear how much of the business they will retain, or which employees will be transferred.
[2] Update, 20/12/2009, 3.15pm: The situation with the shops is reported to be:
- 26 shops told at 5.35pm yesterday that they were in administration
- 6 shops taken over by CLC (Bolton, Stockport, Cambridge, Kingston, Guildford and Coventry)
- 8 shops taken over by Koorong (Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Bromley, Coleraine, Derby, Glasgow, York, possibly another, along with the website and the Wesley Owen brand)
Reports Roundup (most recent first)
- What now for Christian books in the UK? Wannabepriest, 20/12/2009
- Wesley Owen: The Good News or Bad News? Sacred Fish Project, 20/12/2009
- Wesley Owen stores enter administration: Scottish Christian News Monitor, 19/12/2009
- Urgent! Wesley Owen in Administration: St Thomas Church, Aldridge, 19/12/2009; includes Letter from Rev Mark Kinder about Wesley Owen, Walsall (Word doc for download)
- Authentic goes south? Bishop’s Blog, 19/12/2009
- Wesley Owen: Supersimbo, 19/12/2009
For earlier reports, see my STL UK Crisis: Reports roundup and further reflections (updated) (last updated 12/12/2009).
