Book Retailer of the Year


WINNER BLACKWELL’S


It is four years since Blackwell’s won this award, and it has met some bumps in the road in the meantime—but in 2017 it confirmed itself as a resurgent force in British bookselling. The 139th year of Blackwell’s trading saw it outpace book sales


growth as measured by Nielsen BookScan by some distance. Crucially, that growth has been spread evenly around the business: across its high street bookshops, campus stores, institutional and corporate channels, and website alike. At the heart of Blackwell’s success has been frontline staff such as


Greig Watt, the 2018 Individual Bookseller of the Year (see p33). But it also sharpened up its seasonal campaigns and promotions, such as the Blackwell’s Book of the Year, and created a new team to co-ordinate its events—which numbered 1,500 in 2017. It branched into new book categories, and continued long-term work on its company values and infrastructure, including buying, stock and ordering processes. And, by opening a new, very modern concept store at the Westgate centre in Oxford, it showed it can adapt to change in retail and consumer habits. The chain’s strengthened performance has delighted publishers,


authors and customers. “Blackwell’s bookshops are a testament to good bookselling . . . A much-loved presence on our high streets,” said one publisher in support of its entry. "An idyllic place to buy and read books,” commented one customer in a review. The awards judges hailed the revitalisation of Blackwell’s as well.


“It’s terrific for everyone that Blackwell’s is properly back in the game,” they said. “The DNA of the business is fabulous and the booksellers are exceptional . . . It’s gathered itself together and has a very strong sense of where it’s headed.” They also admired Blackwell's unique balancing of high street and campus bookselling. “It’s hard to straddle academia and the mainstream, but Blackwell’s is doing it very well."


SHORTLIST


ASDA Grew its space for books in 2017 and stepped up a gear in its promotional work, partnering with publishers and pushing deeper into children's books in particular.


FIVE LEAVES BOOKSHOP Winner of this year's Independent Bookshop of the Year award, and a much-loved hub for cultural, social and political life in its home city of Nottingham.


SAINSBURY'S Increased its book sales in 2017 on the back of smart buying and promotions in general fiction as well as blockbusters from David Walliams and Jamie Oliver.


THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS WINNERS 2018


THE BOOK NOOK Winner of this year's Children’s Bookseller of the Year award, the Hove independent generated a double-digit increase in turnover in 2017.


WATERSTONES Held up its sales and increased its profits despite uncertainty over its future ownership, reinvigorating its marketing and making a statement of intent with several new openings.


W H SMITH TRAVEL Launched new standalone bookshops in travel hubs and added fresh campaigns to its promotions calendar, while trading well in pop-up operations at Harrods and Selfridges too.


WITH THANKS TO: BONNIER PUBLISHING


KEY STRENGTHS Significant increase in high


street and campus sales and even sharper growth online


Superb bookselling on the shop floor from experienced, knowledgeable and creative teams


Excellent service to institutional, corporate and public service customers


Smart promotions and a tireless events programme


Bonnier Publishing is a major book publisher


with group sales of £128m. Inspired by the aim to “publish for everyone”, the group creates


entertaining content across all genres, formats and price points. It is owned by Bonnier Books, a top-15 world publisher with global sales of £724m.


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