Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
COMMERCE COMMISSON CLEARS WHITCOULLS TO TAKEOVER BORDERS
This news has just been announced on Radio New Zealand's mid-day report. More details as they come to hand.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Bugger! I love my independents, but we also need good foreign-owned chain stores, too, and Whitghouls ain't that.
I agree with Gavin. The thing about Borders, even though they are a chain, is that their stores in NZ feel independent and of course their stock range leaves Whitcoulls for dead. For many years here in Palmerston North we had one of the world's finest independent bookstores, I refer to Bennett's of course. Whitcoulls then bought it and alas it rapidly faded into just another Whitcoulls. To this day I mourn the loss of Bennett's, a truly great bookstore. At least Mr.McKenzie who was the book buyer genius at Bennett's is still here in the city as an independent bookseller. I will never forgive Whitcoulls for what they did to Bennet's and have not been in one of their stores for over 10 years.
2 comments:
Bugger!
I love my independents, but we also need good foreign-owned chain stores, too, and Whitghouls ain't that.
I agree with Gavin. The thing about Borders, even though they are a chain, is that their stores in NZ feel independent and of course their stock range leaves Whitcoulls for dead.
For many years here in Palmerston North we had one of the world's finest independent bookstores, I refer to Bennett's of course. Whitcoulls then bought it and alas it rapidly faded into just another Whitcoulls.
To this day I mourn the loss of Bennett's, a truly great bookstore.
At least Mr.McKenzie who was the book buyer genius at Bennett's is still here in the city as an independent bookseller.
I will never forgive Whitcoulls for what they did to Bennet's and have not been in one of their stores for over 10 years.
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