IVP’S PARTNERSHIP DISTRIBUTION is set to cease operations at Christmas this year with all distribution services relocating to Macmillan (MDL) thereafter, but retailers are being reassured that it’s “business as usual for the trade in the run up to Christmas”, according to a press release issued this morning by Steve Apted, IVP UK’s Interim General Manager. … Continue reading
IN A PRESS RELEASE issued on Wednesday afternoon, 7 October 2015, two of the UK’s leading Christian publishers, the respected conservative evangelical IVP and the much-loved champions of theological diversity SPCK, announced that they were joining forces with immediate effect.
Whilst some in the trade were aware that IVP was experiencing some financial difficulties, this development — which has significant implications for the wider trade as well as for the two publishers and their staff — appears to have taken everyone completely by surprise.
My thanks, therefore, to Sam Richardson, SPCK’s CEO, who has very kindly offered to answer some questions fielded from members of the Christian Authors, Booksellers and Publishers facebook group about the agreement. Some issues can’t be addressed as freely as some might wish at this stage due to legal constraints and staff consultations that are still in progress, but I hope that all readers will accept Sam’s assurances in the spirit of openness and respect for due process with which they are intended and, even more importantly, heed the call for patience, prayer and continued trade commitment with which he concludes. As always, all comments welcome. Continue reading
AUTUMN IS UPON US and with it an opportunity to look back over the changes this summer has wrought across the trade’s distribution channels. Whilst less dramatic than last year, this year’s changes have still been enough to disrupt supply and rock the boat for many. To summarise: Authentic Media have switched from in-house distribution to Marston; CLC Wholesale have relocated to Chester and are now wholesaling Premier magazines; Joining the Dots have (as previously reported) ceased trading; and Malcolm Down Publishing has moved to Booksource. Continue reading
TRIBUTES AND THANKS along with assurances of continued prayer have been pouring in via facebook in response to this week’s announcement that Joining the Dots Distribution (JTD) has now entered the final phase of insolvency. News of the company’s difficulties first emerged earlier in the year when Gavin Bates and Gary Pettit of PBC Business … Continue reading
IF NOT, IT’S WELL WORTH FOLLOWING as the CLC Wholesale team take us on a virtual tour of the UK to visit some of their retail partners — and I say partners rather than customers intentionally because it’s abundantly clear that CLC Wholesale regard those they serve as partners in mission rather than simply business … Continue reading
IN A TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT issued yesterday, Penfold Card and Gift have provided details of their post-TMD distribution and representation arrangements, with all Penfold product expected to be available via Marston Book Services as from late May/early June 2014. Representation to the Christian sector will be as follows: London and the South East, plus South Wales: Andrew Gray The … Continue reading
UPDATED 24/4/2014: Penfold Card and Gift announce trade distribution via Marston and appoint regional reps.
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS a number of leading Christian publishers have switched distribution channels in what Brian Wilson, IVP’s Chief Executive, has described as “a totally unprecedented scale and speed of change, the like of which I have never witnessed in my 20 years in this trade.”
Those that have come to my attention so far are… Continue reading
FOR THOSE who may have missed the announcements last week, a couple of changes on the distribution front as Tyndale House have added CLC Wholesale and IVP (Partnership Distribution) to their official UK distributors portfolio alongside TMD; and TMD have increased their range of product with some new/updated supplier agreements. The news of Tyndale’s expanded … Continue reading
A NUMBER OF CHANGES on the trade distribution front as Dernier Publishing have left Kingsway Distribution and are now dealing direct with retailers; Kingsway Distribution appear to have entered the final chapter in the long-running saga of their struggles to deliver a viable UK trade distribution service; and TMD have struck an exclusive UK & Ireland distribution agreement with innovative US children’s publisher, AZ Books. Continue reading
FAIRWAY MARKETING, the Christian discount and remainders trade supplier owned and operated by Steve and Sandra Green, is for sale. When asked about the reason for the sale, Steve explained, We are selling for many reasons, but primarily because my wife, Sandra and I want to do other things while we are young enough to … Continue reading
