Waterstones’ core Christmas sales were up over 5% year-on-year but overall revenue was hit by lower sales of Kindle devices. The chain bookseller’s m.d, James Daunt, said the company had a “solid” Christmas and was pleased with sales of books, stationery and toys, with new stores in the estate performing particularly well. But the bookseller’s bottom line was hit by the lack of sales of Kindle e-readers and tablet devices this year in comparison to 2013. Continue reading at 'The Bookseller'
[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
The rise of ad blocking has forced publishers to re-examine not just their advertising, but also their paid models. Micropayments had a flurry of interest over the last few years, which went in hand with the rise of platforms like Blendle, but have so far failed to make any real difference to... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2016-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At some point back in 2013, I asked a senior publisher if they had a contingency plan for a world with fewer high street bookshops. It was a period when ebook sales were growing ever bigger, taking chunks out of print fiction’s market share; Amazon was revelling in its recent victory over those... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novelist Kamila Shamsie has said that traditional publishers’ focus on the “bottom line value of pounds and pennies” has meant a shift away from building authors’ careers in the long-term and created a lack of diversity and new voices. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones is on course to make a small profit this year but it is “all to play for” over the next few weeks, the chain’s m.d James Daunt has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The shortlist for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2015 has been revealed, featuring a list that would "not have been produced by an algorithm,” the chain's m.d. James Daunt has said. The eight-strong selection nominated by Waterstones booksellers across the UK encompasses four novels, three... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading a book on a traditional tablet, such as the iPad, is a passable experience. However, a dedicated reader with an e-ink display is much superior for reading. Not only is it more comfortable for your eyes, but it works better in the sun too. Not to mention the super-long battery life. While... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2015-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a week when The Bookseller reported that James Daunt was removing Kindle devices from most of Waterstones’ shelves, one wonders if the ever-pragmatic boss of the high street chain was simply making room for Super Thursday books. Last year the trade contrived to release 300 hardbacks... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booksellers say they are enjoying a “bumper summer”, with the release of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman encouraging people to “re-engage with books and bookshops again.” James Daunt, m.d of Waterstones, said the release of the William Heinnemann title last month had injected life into the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the last four years, Waterstones has changed to a company which is more customer-focused, with booksellers who have more flexible working hours, more accountability and higher energy, according to the chain’s m.d. James Daunt was speaking on the subject of the value of booksellers in a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones is set to open a store in Welwyn Garden City next month after being “petitioned” by the town’s residents. The chain will open a branch in Howardsgate on 25th July, with a special Peter Rabbit family fun day. The shop will include a cafe as well as a stock of close to 20,000... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones stores across the country will host midnight openings to celebrate the release of Harper Lee’s forthcoming novel Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann), while the company’s flagship Piccadilly shop will host a festival. M.d. James Daunt has called the launch a "thrilling"... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Local book industry argue changes proposed in Harper Review will impact their bottom line and may see less long-term investment in Australian writersAustralian publishers would be less likely to support, nurture and develop talented writers like Tasmania’s Richard Flanagan if the Australian... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sainsbury’s book buying manager Phil Carroll has left the retailer after nine years. His departure follows a period of head office consultations at the supermarket, announced in January when the new boss Mike Coupe revealed 500 positions would go across its offices in London, Manchester and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones shops should be "significantly more entrepreneurial than they are at the moment", James Daunt has said. Speaking on a panel at the IPG spring conference about chain bookshops, alongside Blackwell's David Prescott, Daunt said that the "point at which we become more confident in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones has passionate booksellers who are “handselling again”, breaking début novelists and “building careers”, according to publishers. Chief executives and sales directors of publishing houses have spoken to The Bookseller following the release of the chain retailer’s annual results (to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reports that physical books are gaining ground at the expense of digital are just plain wrongHas the ebook had its day? If you’ve skimmed a newspaper over the past month you could be forgiven for thinking just that. “The physical book market is making a comeback after years of decline,”... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones is in exclusive talks to buy Blinkbox books, The Bookseller understands. Tesco is in exclusive talks with one buyer, thought to be Waterstones, with a deal expected to be finalised by the end of this week. The bookseller urgently needs a digital app-based proposition to rival... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones’ core Christmas sales were up over 5% year-on-year but overall revenue was hit by lower sales of Kindle devices. The chain bookseller’s m.d, James Daunt, said the company had a “solid” Christmas and was pleased with sales of books, stationery and toys, with new stores in the estate... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the public promiscuously hopping from one format to another, reports of the e-reader’s death look distinctly prematureWe have barely stumbled into 2015 and already some commentators are calling time on the ebook. The analysis was provoked by Waterstones’ managing director, James Daunt, who... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones will “break even” this year if the retailer has a good Christmas, according to its m.d James Daunt. In an interview with the Guardian, the Waterstones boss said the chain’s intention was to eradicate its losses by the end of its financial year. “We are heading towards break-even in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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