Dymocks is looking to boost its retail operations around Australia by hunting for new franchise owners, following the closure of its rivals Borders and Angus & Robertson’s stores.
Last week Dymocks ran an ad campaign in selected regional newspapers along the eastern seaboard with the tagline ‘There’s never been a better time to enter the book industry’.
The campaign ran in areas such as Canberra, Hobart, Wollongong, Rockhampton, Townsville and Tweeds Heads where Dymocks is looking for potential franchisees. The campaign also followed recent comments by Nick Sherry, the Federal Minister for Small Business, who said: “I think in five years, other than a few specialist booksellers in capital cities we will not see a bookstore, they will cease to exist”.
Steve Cox, Dymocks' general manager buying, marketing and operations, told AdNews that the campaign was “fairly substantial” and was run in locations “where we thought there was an opportunity”. Dymocks currently has 68 stores in Australia.
Cox said the book retailer doesn’t not have a set target of stores its wants to open in the near future, following the demise of Borders and Angus & Robertson. More than 60 stores run by the two brands, which were owned by REDgroup, were closed earlier this year.
“Stores need to be commercially viable,” he said.
Cox said the exit of Borders and Angus & Robertson “enables us to enter the market where the competitive market has decreased”.
“We believe strongly in the future of the Australian book industry,” he said.
Cox told AdNews that book retailers must focus on the needs of the customer to survive and thrive, and said that Dymocks' Book Lover program is a “great way to talk to them”. Dymocks is currently improving its online bookstore and Cox said it is planning a lot of initiatives around its loyalty offering.
Cox said Dymocks has been a leader in social media and has enjoyed continual growth through its use of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
“We’re a multi-channel retailer,” he said.
“We are absolutely committed to the book industry and Australia bookstores.”
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