From The Digital Reader:
Two UK bookstore chains are merging. Waterstones, a chain of 250 stores with revenues around 388 million pounds per year, is buying Foyles, a chain of 7 stores generating around 25 million pounds per year (according to revenue statements filed with Companies House).
This is a big deal in the UK because these are two of the biggest bookstore chains in the country. The combined revenues are about the same as Books-a-Million’s revenues here in the US.
James Daunt, Waterstones m.d., said: “We are honoured to be entrusted with the Foyles business, and greatly look forward to joining forces with the Foyles bookselling team. Together, we will be stronger and better positioned to protect and champion the pleasures of real bookshops in the face of Amazon’s siren call. It is an exciting and invigorating time in bookselling as good bookshops are rediscovering their purpose in the fight back against online and e-reading. At Waterstones, we see our future as responsible stewards of shops that strive to serve their customers each according to their own distinct personality. This is nowhere more important than with those shops – Hatchards, Hodges Figgis and now Foyles – that have such singular heritages.
Link to the rest at The Digital Reader
PG is a big fan of Amazon’s siren call.