Waterstones buys Foyles to defend bookshops against Amazon

[editor]

Shame to see another independent being swallowed up, but I guess that's the way of the world these days:

Waterstones is buying the 115 year-old family-owned chain Foyles, saying the deal will help to "champion" real bookshops in the face of online rivals.

The sale includes Foyles' well-known Charing Cross Road store in central London, which was relocated to larger premises in 2014.

Waterstones said the deal would help booksellers fight back against Amazon's "siren call".

The larger chain has 283 bookshops across the UK and northern Europe.

Foyles was founded at the turn of the last century by the Foyle family and for more than half a century was run by the famously eccentric Christina Foyle. Her approach included sorting the books by publisher rather than alphabetically, and regularly dismissing staff within a year.

Waterstones buys Foyles 'to defend bookshops'

 

[mrs quoad]

As long as they keep the steak club going, I’m orright w’it

Edit: I have totally misread this thread title. Obvs ignore.

 

[Pickman's model]

oh shit

foyles is a - was - a far superior bookshop to waterstones. the big waterstones on piccadilly's not all that, imo

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Better than them being bought by Amazon I suppose.

 

[19sixtysix]

Waterstones are OK since they were bought back by the guy who started it. He likes book mongering and I think foyles should be safe enough.

 

[Pickman's model]

Waterstones are OK since they were bought back by the guy who started it. He likes book mongering and I think foyles should be safe enough.

foyles as was in the auld building was imo a better bookshop - the history department, for example, was bigger and in certain areas better stocked. for example, the shelf space afforded irish history was about the same amount of space most bookshops give history in total. that space has diminished since the move to the former st martins building. and, although the gower street waterstones has a similar amount of space for irish history to foyles, i would expect both the space and range of stock in areas like that, which are the mark of a top bookshop but don't sell so fast, to further diminish. the big waterstones on piccadilly's declined over the years, as (imho) has hatchards, and where they have led...

i'd be very interested to hear what zora has to say.

 

[flypanam]

That is bad news. How many book shops have Waterstones put out of business? Seems to me their just trying to increase market share.

 

[Pickman's model]

That is bad news. How many book shops have Waterstones put out of business? Seems to me their just trying to increase market share.

they'll pile the tables high with shite.

not so long ago there was a blackwell's over the way from foyles, that's been gone a few years now. i wouldn't be surprised if they expand the cafe space - as they've done on gower street - to the detriment of the range of stock.

 

[hash tag]

That is bad news. How many book shops have Waterstones put out of business? Seems to me their just trying to increase market share.

Not nearly as many as Amazon

 

[hash tag]

Waterstones buys Foyles Interesting. Foyles new flagship in Charing Cross Road just a short walk from Waterstones Picadilly, not tomention Hatchards a few doors away. More closures and job losses?
Waterstones buys Foyles 'to defend bookshops'

 

[SpookyFrank]

foyles as was in the auld building was imo a better bookshop - the history department, for example, was bigger and in certain areas better stocked. for example, the shelf space afforded irish history was about the same amount of space most bookshops give history in total. that space has diminished since the move to the former st martins building. and, although the gower street waterstones has a similar amount of space for irish history to foyles, i would expect both the space and range of stock in areas like that, which are the mark of a top bookshop but don't sell so fast, to further diminish. the big waterstones on piccadilly's declined over the years, as (imho) has hatchards, and where they have led...

i'd be very interested to hear what zora has to say.

History is pretty dire in Waterstones. The big one near me has a history section about the same size as the section devoted to Jamie Oliver 'books'. Nothing at all on the history of Africa, which last I checked was an entire continent and the birthplace of mankind.

 

[Pickman's model]

History is pretty dire in Waterstones. The big one near me has a history section about the same size as the section devoted to Jamie Oliver 'books'. Nothing at all on the history of Africa, which last I checked was an entire continent and the birthplace of mankind.

not to mention the subject of slavery and colonialism: and it's not like no one's ever written about african history

it's utterly dire.

 

[SpookyFrank]

not to mention the subject of slavery and colonialism: and it's not like no one's ever written about african history

it's utterly dire.

Yeah, and I'm not talking about no specific section, I mean not a single book. In a five-storey bookshop.

 

[Pickman's model]

Yeah, and I'm not talking about no specific section, I mean not a single book. In a five-storey bookshop.

not even the washing of the spears, long walk to freedom or something on the boer war?

appalling

 

[Chilli.s]

I went in Waterstones a few weeks ago, it was dead quiet and everything seemed too expensive (maps and guides). They are going to suffer like the bookshops they put out of business years back. I took a few phone snaps of the titles that most interested me and went home to my 'puter.

 

[killer b]

I went in Waterstones a few weeks ago, it was dead quiet and everything seemed too expensive (maps and guides). They are going to suffer like the bookshops they put out of business years back. I took a few phone snaps of the titles that most interested me and went home to my 'puter.

I believe they've already weathered that storm and have been back in profit since 2015.

 

[chilango]

Towards the end of my short time with Waterstones a decision was made "high up" to reduce the autonomy of ordering. Previously sections were overseen by genuine enthusiasts for their area who would order in all kinds of stuff.

This was a long time ago

 

[A380]

They should go back to the completely fucking fruitcake method of paying that Foyles used to have. That was a laugh.

 

[imposs1904]

They should go back to the completely fucking fruitcake method of paying that Foyles used to have. That was a laugh.

Didn't they also use to shelf the fiction by publisher . . . or did I just imagine that?

 

[killer b]

Towards the end of my short time with Waterstones a decision was made "high up" to reduce the autonomy of ordering. Previously sections were overseen by genuine enthusiasts for their area who would order in all kinds of stuff.

This was a long time ago

my understanding is that their recent return to profit after years heading towards bankrupcy was - partly - a result of a return to allowing branches autonomy of ordering. funny that.

 

[chilango]

my understanding is that their recent return to profit after years heading towards bankrupcy was - partly - a result of a return to allowing branches autonomy of ordering. funny that.

The enthusiasm and knowledge of the booksellers was great back in the day. They could help find new stuff you'd never heard of and order it from the States or wherever.

 

[Sue]

Didn't they also use to shelf the fiction by publisher . . . or did I just imagine that?

Yep. Then the paying nonsense. Lots of good books if you could actually find them.

 

[Pickman's model]

Didn't they also use to shelf the fiction by publisher . . . or did I just imagine that?

you say that like it's a bad idea.

if you like decadent fiction, and desire to see what dedalus press have brought out, how much simpler if it's all shelved together.

 

[imposs1904]

you say that like it's a bad idea.

if you like decadent fiction, and desire to see what dedalus press have brought out, how much simpler if it's all shelved together.

I thought it was a great idea. Back in 92/93, I discovered a lot of great Polygon Press writers that way at Foyles. (Part of me honestly thought I'd imagined it.)

 

[imposs1904]

Yep. Then the paying nonsense. Lots of good books if you could actually find them.

The paying bit was bollocks. I agree on that score.

 

[Pickman's model]

The paying bit was bollocks. I agree on that score.

people PAID?

 

[imposs1904]

people PAID?

I did hear it was easy to shoplift at Foyles. Were the rumours true?

 

[Pickman's model]

I did hear it was easy to shoplift at Foyles. Were the rumours true?

 

[agricola]

History is pretty dire in Waterstones. The big one near me has a history section about the same size as the section devoted to Jamie Oliver 'books'. Nothing at all on the history of Africa, which last I checked was an entire continent and the birthplace of mankind.

Even the big Picadilly one has a depressingly small selection of history books.

 

[brogdale]

oh shit

foyles is a - was - a far superior bookshop to waterstones. the big waterstones on piccadilly's not all that, imo

Yep, but that 'new' Foyles has, IMO, been a profound disappointment. The Social Sciences sections have never recovered and the loss of the window bench in Ray's cafe was a huge loss; that dreadful hot, noisy canteen upstairs is dreadful. Plus they all but removed any seats; bastards. Don't they know that sitting down comfortably to peruse books is the best way to sell them?