jemck: rune logo from The Thief's Gamble (Default)
posted by [personal profile] jemck at 09:42am on 26/09/2007
Luke Johnson, the Channel 4 chairman, and previously a major player in Pizza Express's success, has moved into book-selling through the £20 million acquisition of Borders and Books etc. More in The Guardian and sundry other places.

What really catches my eye is this quote -
"Book buyers want to browse and receive a personal and intelligent service," Mr Johnson said. "As a published writer from a family of writers, I understand the cultural importance of books and have seen, through Channel 4's Richard & Judy Book Club, how people can be stimulated to buy and read books."

He believes the chain has suffered from being a small part of the larger US group: "It had a big parent a long way away, perhaps with other concerns," he said, and expressed his confidence in bookselling despite growing competition from internet retailers and supermarkets. "I would not have done the deal if I didn't believe in the future of bookshops," he said.

Fingers crossed and all that kindathing.

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