All Waterstones articles
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NewsWaterstones profits soar as post-pandemic shoppers flock to stores
Waterstones recorded an increase in full-year profits as sales soared post-pandemic.
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News
Waterstones hit by stock shortages after warehouse tech problems
Waterstones is grappling to stock its shops and fulfil a backlog of online orders after problems with its new warehouse tech systems sparked product shortages.
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News
Iceland and Waterstones’ bosses named in Queen’s birthday honours
A number of retail leaders have been recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list this year.
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News
Retailers call for business rates cut to help battle cost-of-living crunch
A coalition of leading retailers and trade bodies has launched a ‘Cut the Shops Tax’ campaign, arguing for a business rates reduction to combat inflationary pressures and protect industry jobs.
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News
Waterstones acquires independent bookseller Blackwell’s
Waterstones has snapped up Blackwell’s, the UK’s largest independent bookseller, for an undisclosed sum.
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Analysis
Retail 2022: 59 CEOs reveal strategy for the year ahead
Leaders from Gymshark, Currys, Pets at Home, Levi’s and Beauty Pie are among 59 chief executives that have spoken to Retail Week in-depth about their 2022 strategy as part of a major new report
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Data
Ranking: From M&S to Iceland – UK consumers’ favourite brands
Marks & Spencer has been crowned the best retail brand according to shoppers in YouGov’s UK Retail Rankings 2021.
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Gallery
Store gallery: TikTok moves offline with experiential shopping centre pop-up
Video sharing platform TikTok has made a huge splash online. Now, with the opening of the UK’s first-ever TikTok pop-up, it could also make a big impact IRL.
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Analysis
How John Lewis, Waterstones and Lush are making store staff their greatest assets
A new report by Retail Week showcases the businesses empowering their store staff to deliver best-in-class customer service and an experience that can’t be beaten online. Find out how you can do the same
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Analysis
Three ways retailers are rethinking stores for future success
Retail Week’s inaugural Stores Week, celebrating bricks and mortar, kicks off today. From The Entertainer and Dixons Carphone to Theo Paphitis Retail Group and AS Watson, retailers and brands from across the sector will reveal how they’re shaping their store strategies. Here’s a taster of what to expect.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (SWOT)
Waterstones is the UK’s only remaining major book specialist on the high street, with approaching 300 stores throughout the country. As such, it can sustain a respectable 21% of the UK physical book market which continues to grow as consumers trade in screens for paper.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Strategy)
The retailer has rolled out a new buying strategy that provides greater stock control and visibility to its central head office staff, meaning minimum stock levels are now set in a bid to push mid-ranking titles. Central buying managers can increase stock levels available to individual stores.
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Prospect Analysis
Technology strategy at Waterstones
Prior investments to its website supported impressive growth, but MD James Daunt said “to really improve it we’d have to spend a lot more money on it, and I’m a pragmatist, Amazon is where customers hold their accounts.”
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Prospect Analysis
Stores at Waterstones
Waterstones is the UK’s last surviving nationwide chain of booksellers with a total of 270 stores throughout the country.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (People)
Waterstones is headed up by MD James Daunt and COO Kate Skipper who has been managing UK operations while Daunt was drafted in to turn around sister business Barnes & Noble in the States.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Overview)
Waterstones is the UK’s last remaining national high street bookseller, with around 275 stores throughout the country and a strong online presence. There are two long-established stores in mainland Europe (Brussels and Amsterdam) and two in the Republic of Ireland.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Financials)
Total sales across the Waterstones group (including Foyles) slumped 40% to £247.7m in the year to end-April 2021 (FY2020), with pre-tax losses escalating to £14.7m. The core Waterstones business, where revenues have been declining for five years, suffered a 38.6% sales shortfall, with margins declining, although it remained profitable at both the operating and pre-tax level.
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Prospect Analysis
Ecommerce at Waterstones
Waterstones has renewed its focus on aspects of the ecommerce journey under Elliott Advisors. Personalisation efforts have been fortified through a new unified loyalty offering and the specialist provides same day click-and-collect across its estate through both its mobile app and website.
