CONGRATULATIONS to Petra Nemansky and the team at CLC London on their recent thanksgiving celebration for 66 years of Christian bookselling in the nation’s capital: a remarkable achievement, made all the more remarkable by the fact that they’re still there, doing it, when so many other Christian bookshops are falling by the wayside: Not only ‘still … Continue reading
Tagged with Christian Book Trade …
Post-Digital Armageddon: Jonny Gallant reflects on the future of the book trade
EBOOKS. Or should that be e-books? Or even ibooks if it’s Apple as the vendor. The fact that the book industry can’t even agree on its basic terminology is perhaps telling in and of itself, but however we spell the word, the ebook challenge isn’t going away anytime soon — but physical books, according to … Continue reading
CTS – Are they actively working against physical bookshops?
Further to the post earlier this week on the situation from CTS in regards to the low trade discount more worrying news has been highlighted for the wider trades attention. Comments posted by John Gaines of Footprints first raised the issue: Shall we all apply to become Parish Distributors? Then we would get 25%!! So … Continue reading
Concerns rise as Trade Terms situation crosses denominational boundaries.
In a comment under the post on the low discount to trade from CTS on the new Altar Missals a concerning trend has been found, highlighted and raised – one that crosses denominational boundaries and publishing houses and is perhaps of even more concern than the very low discount being given from CTS. Andrew Lacey … Continue reading
A Christian Bookseller’s Prayer
Adapted with kind permission from One Bookstore Owner’s Prayer: Dear Lord, When we started out it all seemed so easy. You opened doors and directed our paths. We saw your hand in everything in those early days. We have our victory stories. But now it’s different. Changing market conditions and rising costs are closing in on us. … Continue reading
eBook Sales – Weighing up the Digital Impact
Phil Groom was kind enough to invite me to cross-post from my personal blog where I have taken a periodic interest in the rise of the eBook. I’m fascinated by the explosive potential of their impact in our small niche within the wider book trade. Digital is clearly not going away but somehow it doesn’t quite … Continue reading
Christianity on the High Street: is there a better way?
OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO we’ve had numerous conversations and discussions about the future shape of Christian bookselling and retailing. We’ve seen the sad demise of the former SPCK bookshops (a story that’s far from over), the break-up of Wesley Owen following the collapse of STL UK when Biblica overreached itself (for what that cost, … Continue reading
Durham Cathedral Bookshop Staff Start Tribunal
Less than two weeks after the post of SPCK/SSG Two Years On: Reflections and Responses and things are moving towards a conclusion of the SPCK/SSG Saga at Durham Cathedral Shop as the Staff there begin their Tribunal. This action though seems not to just cover the past and prior management (if such word can be … Continue reading
STL UK: Rumours and Counter-Rumours
… and so another trade missive emerges from STL UK in another attempt to lay to rest the rumours of… of what exactly? Whatever the rumours may be, I haven’t heard them. What I do know is that all too often I’m having to place orders elsewhere for items that I’d normally expect to be … Continue reading
Scripture Union to Shed up to 25 Jobs
Scripture Union, perhaps best known as publishers of daily Bible reading notes and holiday club resources, issued the press release shown below on Wednesday 16th September, announcing up to 25 job cuts in a major shake up intended “to create a more cost-effective, flexible, mission-focused organisation” Continue reading
