Dymocks Booksellers unveils expansion drive across New Zealand.

Favoured by booklovers, Dymocks already has seven stores in the North Island and aims to increase that in the next few months, followed by a push into the South Island.

General Manager Andrew Howard said new Dymocks’ stores would open in Mt Eden in Auckland and Smales Farm on the North Shore in August.
“Combine these openings with the new stores we launched late last year in Hamilton and
Tauranga and Dymocks in New Zealand will have nearly doubled in size in under a year.”
Howard said the company was upbeat about the state of the retail market for books.

“While, in the current economy, people might not be buying big ticket items like furniture and
plasma televisions, they are still willing to buy smaller items like books as a treat for
themselves.”
“Via our expansion into Mt Eden and Smales Farm, we expect to grow the market overall as our research shows there is capacity in both areas for another bookseller.”

Howard said New Zealand was a nation of booklovers and that was unlikely to change.
“We read more in general than most other nationalities and, not surprisingly, we like to read about ourselves. Books by Kiwi authors are always in our top 10 sellers.”

Since the 1980s, Dymocks has run as a franchise business, meaning its New Zealand stores are
locally owned and operated.

“Next year, our focus will be on developing Dymocks in the South Island and we have already
started the process of identifying possible franchisees,” Howard said.
“Areas being considered include Dunedin, Christchurch, Queenstown and Nelson although it is too early to say where we will launch first.”
FOOTNOTE:
Nice to see confidence and expansion in the bookselling world. The Bookman is intrigued with the move to open at Smales Farm, an office park on Auckland's North Shore, opposite the public hospital. I was unaware of any retail presence there so once Dymocks are open next month I shall be taking myself across the harbour bridge on the trusty Vespa to check it out.

And what about those lucky residents of suburban Mt.Eden. They already have several fine independent bookstores - Time Out, (currently celebrating their 20th birthday), Cook the Books, and along the road a bit the wonderful children's books specialist Jabberwocky - now Dymocks is joining them. Locals will be spoilt for choice.

Further footnote:
Anne de Lautour of Book Publishers NZ has just sent me this link re the next stage of development at Smales Farm.