Collins Booksellers Acquires Online Book Retailer

Collins Booksellers is pleased to announce that it has acquired Seek Media Pty Ltd, an online book retail company. Seek Media was established in 1999 and not only operates its own book retail website but also provides website hosting arrangements and order fulfilment services for third party book retailers and affiliates.

This acquisition provides Collins Booksellers with an online retail business that will be optimised to enable Collins to develop into a high performance multi- channel retail business.

CEO of Seek Media, Neil Topham said,"Seek Media pioneered internet bookselling in Australia over a decade ago and has been innovative in implementing a number of enhanced bookselling facilities since then. It has had a long association with Collins Booksellers and with the revolutionary changes occurring in the book industry at this time, I felt that it was time to pursue stronger cooperative ventures. I am particularly pleased with the acquisition of Seekbooks by Collins Booksellers as it will greatly strengthen their presence in the book trade while fully utilising the initiatives developed by Seekbooks."

Chairman of Collins Booksellers, Duncan Johnston said, “This is a great time for the Collins Group to be shifting to a fully integrated multi-channel business. The acquisition provides Collins with the platform that allows us to satisfy our customer needs whichever way they prefer to shop. Whether it’s shopping in our stores or online, delivering to home or collecting from store, purchasing books or downloading digital formats, we aim to satisfy our customers and provide our franchisees with the platform to satisfy their retailing needs and maximise franchise profitability.”

CEO of Collins Booksellers, Daniel Jordon said” The book industry is experiencing unprecedented change. With that change brings opportunity. We are a company with a long and proud history of bookselling in Australia. This acquisition represents an exciting chapter in the future of Collins as it adapts to meet changing customer needs, prosper and create wealth for existing and new franchisees”.

In a first for Franchise book retailing, Collins franchisees will benefit from a percentage revenue share of all online sales sold to customers within their assigned store territory. No other franchisor in the book industry in Australia or internationally provides this benefit to their franchisees. Other benefits extended to current and new franchisees include customer order fulfilment, digital format sales capability instore, digital marketing and integrated product searches by store online. Collins plan to launch a loyalty program in July 2011.

COO of Collins Booksellers John Preston said “This acquisition will enable Collins to provide a strong web presence that reinforces our brand and our bricks and mortar business and will generate greater sales and benefits on behalf of our franchisees”.

This acquisition represents the first of three stages of our business plan. Collins Booksellers will be announcing other important initiatives in the next few months.

About Collins Booksellers
Collins Booksellers was established in 1922 and is one of Australia’s leading book retailers. Collins Booksellers Pty Ltd was formed in 2005 when the franchised stores purchased the business. Today Collins Booksellers is wholly owned by the franchisees and operates 52 stores nationwide.

For further media nformation contact:
Daniel Jordon, CEO Collins Booksellers
Tel 03 9654 7400
danielj@collinsbooks.com.au

Duncan Johnston, Chairman Collins Booksellers
Tel 03 9654 7400
duncanj@collinsbooks.com.au

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