My thanks to Dave Walker for permission to cross-post the following from the Church Times Blog, a superb summary of reportage in this month’s Christian Marketplace. Scroll to the end for my own comments and concluding reflections. Clem Jackson from Christian Marketplace magazine has been busy talking to everyone involved in the events following the demise … Continue reading »
Tagged with IBS-STL UK …
Wesley Owen: 27 Christian Bookshops Wiped Off the Map
Now you see them, now you don’t: Christmas is over and 27 Christian bookshops have been unceremoniously wiped off the map. Officially only 26 shops have vanished: Biblica/IBS-STL UK operated 40 branches of Wesley Owen, of which 14 have been saved by Koorong and CLC. The figure of 27 derives from the 41 branches previously … Continue reading »
STL UK and the Abominable Silence
Sometimes, silence is golden. Other times, it’s terrifying: someone we love breathes their last and the silence suddenly stretches to eternity… It feels a bit like that with STL UK. We all know that STL as we once knew it is finished. We also know that deals have been done behind closed doors: we watch … Continue reading »
New Trade Distribution Arrangements for HarperCollins (Updated)
Bringing a longstanding exclusive distribution arrangement with STL to an end, HarperCollins have today announced new distribution arrangements to the UK Christian book trade. In a press release (pdf, 70kb) issued on Thursday, December 10, 2009, Sam Richardson, Head of Religious Publishing at HarperCollins, advised that new agreements had been reached with IVP and Norwich Books and Music, … Continue reading »
STL UK: Preferred Bidders Selected but Outcome Remains Uncertain
In a new trade update issued yesterday afternoon, Keith Danby has announced that STL UK’s “preferred bidders” have now been selected. The final outcome remains uncertain “until the due diligence process is concluded” but they remain confident that one or more transactions will be concluded for various aspects of the business, thus ensuring a seamless … Continue reading »
UCB Suspend Mail Order Services due to STL Supply Problems
During what should have been their busiest time of year, the run up to Christmas, UCB have suspended their online/mail order service, UCB2GO, due to concerns over STL’s ability to supply. The suspension came into effect on November 23rd and is expected to remain in place for a period of three months: UCB2GO has recently … Continue reading »
SAP and IBS-STL UK: A Timeline and Some Reflections
Given that the collapse of IBS-STL UK has largely been attributed to its failed SAP implementation, the following timeline (which undoubtedly has a few gaps) may prove helpful in formulating the questions that should now be asked in order to ensure that a disaster like this doesn’t happen again. The fact that SAP was intended to … Continue reading »
Wesley Owen: Bids for Individual Stores Not Ruled Out
In an interview posted by the Edinburgh Evening News, David Young, General Manager of IBS-STL, has acknowledged the possibility of the Wesley Owen chain being split if buyers can be found for individual branches or groups of shops. Continue reading »
Saving STL UK: Towards a sustainable business model?
Whether or not the possibility of a group buyout for IBS-STL UK will even be considered by Biblica’s Board and Trustees remains to seen. As of this posting I am still awaiting detailed financial statements from the company, without which it is somewhat difficult to even begin to prepare anything remotely resembling a firm proposal … Continue reading »
STL UK Crisis: Reports roundup and further reflections (updated)
Figured a roundup of reports on / responses to the STL UK crisis might be useful. Reports marked * are largely nothing more than re-runs of the official press release with minimal or no additional comment. No doubt there are a few I’ve missed and more will emerge as the tragedy unfolds — but as I’ve said, … Continue reading »
