Phil Groom has posted breaking news on his blog that Wesley Owen staff have been told that the retail operation is in administration, with new owners for 14 of the shops, but no arrangements stated for the 26 others. STL Distribution has been purchased by Scottish book wholesaler John Ritchie, though it is not clear how much of the business will be preserved as a going concern. Kingsway are said to be taking over the music publishing, and the Australian firm Koorong the rest of the Authentic book publishing business (as well as some of the shops).
Koorong is new to me as it will be most of us in the UK. Its current business is bookselling rather than publishing if its Wikipedia entry is accurate.
Meanwhile our thoughts and prayers remain with the staff involved, especially those who, Groom reports, found out at 5.35pm by email on the last Friday before Christmas (or open the email on Monday morning) that their shops were in the hands of the administrators.
Filed under: books, Christianity
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