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
KINGSWAY TRUST DISTRIBUTION have stepped further into the breach in the Christian supply chain left by the loss of Joining the Dots by taking on a number of lines formerly distributed by JTD, including 1AProductions, Classic Fox (previously noted), Grenville Media and Timeless International Christian Media, with more agreements in the pipeline. The announcement came in a press release issued yesterday evening which also announces the appointment of Neil Povey as new Sales & Marketing Manager, previously a member of the Joining The Dots team and, before that, with Kingsway Communications. 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
WELCOME to the first UKCBD News Roundup of 2015, with very best wishes for the rest of the year. As usual it’s a mixed bag of news but more good than bad by far; in particular, I’d like to highlight Cornerstone Ulverston‘s window display for Holocaust Memorial Day: is this a first for a Christian bookshop? … Continue reading
IN A PRESS RELEASE ISSUED TODAY, CLC UK have announced a number of operational and personnel changes as they face the possibility of a compulsory purchase order on their wholesale warehouse in Alresford, Hampshire. The changes consist of: A one-year ecommerce fulfilment agreement with eden.co.uk (Eden Ecommerce Ltd) commencing 1st October 2014. An in-principle decision … 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
THE RECENT COLLAPSE OF TMD caused not only a major trade distribution crisis but also left many Christian retailers wondering what was to become of their stock control and ordering system, Synergi, which had been custom developed for TMD trade customers and was made available free of charge in July 2010. Today, the answer has emerged: BookSolve, … Continue reading
CONGRATULATIONS to Michael & Cherith Penfold and their team, who yesterday announced a relaunch of Penfold Card & Gift. Both Penfold Card & Gift and STL (which became Trust Media Distribution, TMD) were acquired by John Ritchie Ltd in 2009 and the company’s entire wholesale division was consolidated in Carlisle in 2011 (see Penfold Card and Gift moving to Carlisle for further details of that transfer). Penfold then remained … Continue reading
TRUST MEDIA DISTRIBUTION, the Carlisle based Christian distribution company that took on the mantle of STL Distribution after the company collapsed in 2009, has itself now entered administration. A source from within the company, who did not wish to be named, indicated last night that all staff — including the entire customer service team and most of the warehouse staff — had been made redundant with immediate effect apart from a small team retained to help with the final wind up. Continue reading
The Christian Bookshops Blog 