Wed, 18 Dec 2019 | ADMINISTRATION
Online and pop-up book retailer The Book People has gone into administration, announcing that it has appointed advisers from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
PwC administrators have said that there will be no immediate redundancies and that trading will continue as normal as administrators seek to secure a rapid sale of the business. All orders already placed for Christmas are due to be fulfilled.
The Book People was founded in 1988 in Godalming, Surrey by Ted Smart and Seni Glaister. The company employs nearly 400 staff and operates from a warehouse in Bangor.
Private equity firm Endless acquired the company in 2014. 2017 saw The Book People make sales of £71 million, but its profits fell to £1.1 million from £6.2 million the year before, with the company’s debts then at £33 million.
It makes 70 per cent of its sales online, also selling direct to schools and businesses and through pop-up shops in workplaces. In addition to books, the company also sells toys, stationery and gifts, both online and through its catalogue.
Discussing the company’s problems, Endless partner James Woolley said: “The well-documented challenges in the retail environment compounded by the strength of global online booksellers, has severely impacted operating cashflows over recent years.”
Joint administrator and PwC partner Toby Underwood said: “The intention is to fulfil and deliver all customer orders received and accepted. I appreciate the obvious concerns that staff in particular will have as we move towards Christmas.”
“While the administrators have funding to meet the payroll for December, the longer-term prospects for the business, staff, customers and suppliers will clearly be dependent upon whether a sale can be secured.”
A well-established and successful 5* rated car and van dealer, which has only been made available for sale due to our client wishing to pursue other technology business interests. The business offers a wide range of services, from finding the perfect...
LEASEHOLD
The company supplies marketing and sales professionals, for both large corporate organisations and SMEs, with all their branded and promotional material needs from brochures, banners, and exhibition stands to branded pens, notebooks, power banks, and...
LEASEHOLD
Discover an established takeaway shop offering Fish & Chips, Kebabs, and Burgers in a prime, high-visibility location within a bustling parade of shops.
LEASEHOLD
04
|
Jul
|
East Midlands furniture manufacturer ceases trading | ADMINISTRATION
Andrew Paul Furniture Limited, a major furniture manufacture...
04
|
Jul
|
Yorkshire law company Ison Harrison merges with Skipton firm | MERGER
Ison Harrison, an employee owned law firm based in Yorkshire...
04
|
Jul
|
£37m-turnover pet food firm falls into administration | ADMINISTRATION
Kennelpak Limited, a private equity-backed pet products comp...
Business Sale Report is your complete solution to finding great acquisition opportunities.
Join today to receive:
All this and much more, including the latest M&A news and exclusive resources
We can help you capitalise on insolvent businesses. We list UK businesses in administration, liquidation and with winding up petitions daily. Ensuring our members never miss out on an opportunity
Please choose your settings for this site below. For more information please read our Cookie Policy
These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly and provide you with access to all features.
These are analytics cookies that help us to improve the way our website works.
These are used to improve the functional performance of the website and make it easier for you to use.