The bookstore chains Thalia and mayersche buchhandlung want to merge. Through the merger of the market leader with the number four of the most important family of emerging “led retail book dealers in Europe”, stated the company. The step was “a sign of awakening against the market power of global online retailer and for the inner-city culture of reading,” said Thalia, majority shareholder Manuel the Herder. The owner of Mayer’s bookstore, Hartmut Falter, said: “We have decided to take this step, because we want to prepare ourselves strategically for the future.”
Whether the brand Mayer remains cal bookstore in the long term, is not decided according to the Parties yet to be finalised. Thalia CEO Michael Busch, but not a single bookstore, as a result of the merger, closed. The branch network was complementary, very well. A set should removal it. “In the case of a personnel reduction, the risk of losing competencies. The risk we don’t want to respond,” said Bush.
The new company will not only around 350 bookshops in German-speaking countries, as well as on several online shops. Through the Shop-in-Shop provider of Best-of-Books-the mayersche bookstore also sells books in more than 1,000 hypermarkets, consumer markets, supermarkets, and drugstores.
people read less books
The traditional book trade in Germany, currently there are two major challenges faced. For one, Amazon makes brick and mortar stores, the sales in dispute. For years, no one sells more books than the US companies.
but This is not the only Problem. It is less a book to be read than in the past. In just the past five years, the industry lost after the data of the stock exchange Association of the book trade around 6.4 million customers. The number of books sold has declined in the past ten years, around 37 million to 367 million.
in view of this, are alliances necessary, said Thalia CEO Michael Busch. Otherwise, the classical book trade in the competition will draw with international online suppliers the Shorter. The combination of Thalia and the Mayer’s is a good step, because both companies complemented each other perfect. Thalia had more experience in online trading, the Mayer more Know-how in the supply of new products, such as toys and in the Shop have-on-in-Shop business.
