Angus & Robertson
Encyclopedia
Angus & Robertson is a bookstore
chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney
by Scotsman David Angus in 1884
; it sold second-hand books. In 1886
, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson
with whom he had worked earlier.
the company moved to 89 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
. The head office of the firm was at Castlereagh Street until the 1950s. The shop was known as the "biggest bookshop in the world". In 1907
the partnership was converted into a public company – Angus & Robertson Limited. In 1938 A&R opened a publishing office in London, and in 1951 a store was established in Australia's High Commission in London, which operated until the 1970s. In the 1950s, Angus & Robertson began the growth which led it to become Australia's first nationwide chain of bookstores. In 1977, it opened its first franchise store in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville
. In 2006, the company had over 170 stores spread throughout the country, it claims that it has more than twice as many stores as Australia's next largest bookseller. The number of stores has doubled since 1982. The brand name is recognised by 96% of the Australian population. The firm has approximately 18% share in the Australian book retail market.
, Henry Lawson
and Norman Lindsay
.
In the early years of publishing to 1900, Angus and Robertson developed a successful marketing formula and mix of products: they established a pattern of literary publishing together with educational publishing.
since 1989.
Ownership of the company has changed several times since the 1970s. In the 1990s, the company was owned by Gordon & Gotch, followed by the purchase by Brashs
who merged Bookworld with A&R. For several years the company went by the name Angus & Robertson Bookworld before eventually dropping Bookworld as part of the name. Ownership of the company then passed on to Whitcoulls
which was itself later purchased by W H Smith
in 2001.
Angus & Robertson is currently under the portfolio of REDgroup, retail operations company owned by Pacific Equity Partners
.
On 17 February 2011, RedGroup Retail (including the Borders
, Angus & Robertson as well as Whitcoulls chains) were placed into voluntary administration with Ferrier Hodgson
appointed as administrators.
The letter, leaked by Tower Books to the public, claimed that if the payment was not made, the books from the supplier would no longer be sold in A&R stores. Many publishers have expressed a disbelief at Angus & Robertson's decision, with Tower declaring that they will withdraw supply for Angus & Robertson as per the letter's requirement.
This situation has resulted in Chris Burgess, the general manager of Leading Edge Books
, sending out a parody of the original A&R letter sent to publishers
In response to the situation, Dave Fenlon, Chief Operating Officer at Angus & Robertson, responded by claiming that the whole situation is blown up out of proportion and that A&R is simply negotiating a new business agreement with selected suppliers deemed to not be meeting their obligations to the company and that Angus & Robertson is committed to selling Australian published books from a large range of Australian publishers, large and small.
Bookselling
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers or bookmen.-Bookstores today:...
chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
by Scotsman David Angus in 1884
1884 in Australia
See also:1883 in Australia,other events of 1884,1885 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales – Lord Augustus Loftus...
; it sold second-hand books. In 1886
1886 in Australia
See also:1885 in Australia,other events of 1886,1887 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Premiers:* Premier of New South Wales — John Robertson then Patrick Jenning* Premier of Queensland — Samuel Griffith...
, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson
George Robertson (publisher)
George Robertson was a Scottish-Australian publisher and founding member of Angus & Robertson publishing.Robertson, the son of the Rev. John Robertson, was born at Halstead, Essex, England. He was educated at the Southwestern Academy, Glasgow and trained as a bookseller with James Maclehose,...
with whom he had worked earlier.
Bookselling history
In 18951895 in Australia
See also:1894 in Australia,other events of 1895,1896 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Premier of New South Wales - George Reid*Premier of South Australia - Charles Kingston*Premier of Queensland - Hugh Nelson...
the company moved to 89 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street is a major north-south street in the centre of the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .-Description:...
. The head office of the firm was at Castlereagh Street until the 1950s. The shop was known as the "biggest bookshop in the world". In 1907
1907 in Australia
See also: 1906 in Australia, other events of 1907, 1908 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King Edward VII*Governor-General – The Right Hon...
the partnership was converted into a public company – Angus & Robertson Limited. In 1938 A&R opened a publishing office in London, and in 1951 a store was established in Australia's High Commission in London, which operated until the 1970s. In the 1950s, Angus & Robertson began the growth which led it to become Australia's first nationwide chain of bookstores. In 1977, it opened its first franchise store in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville
Hurstville, New South Wales
Hurstville is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurstville is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of...
. In 2006, the company had over 170 stores spread throughout the country, it claims that it has more than twice as many stores as Australia's next largest bookseller. The number of stores has doubled since 1982. The brand name is recognised by 96% of the Australian population. The firm has approximately 18% share in the Australian book retail market.
Publishing history
Angus and Robertson began publishing in 1887 in Australia. Their first work was a book of verse, A crown of wattle, written by a Sydney solicitor, H. Peden Steel. As a publisher, Angus & Robertson has played a role in shaping Australian literature by publishing works by significant Australian authors such as Banjo PatersonBanjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, OBE was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
, Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson was an Australian writer and poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest writer"...
and Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
.
In the early years of publishing to 1900, Angus and Robertson developed a successful marketing formula and mix of products: they established a pattern of literary publishing together with educational publishing.
Ownership
Since 1977, the publisher has been a separate company under separate ownership from the bookseller. Angus & Robertson publishers have been an imprint of HarperCollinsHarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
since 1989.
Ownership of the company has changed several times since the 1970s. In the 1990s, the company was owned by Gordon & Gotch, followed by the purchase by Brashs
Brashs
Brashs was one of Australia's biggest music retail chains, specializing in the retail of various vinyl records and CDs, blank audio cassettes and other accessories during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The first Brashs stores were established in 1895, at the time just selling Pianos.-History:Brashs...
who merged Bookworld with A&R. For several years the company went by the name Angus & Robertson Bookworld before eventually dropping Bookworld as part of the name. Ownership of the company then passed on to Whitcoulls
Whitcoulls
Whitcoulls is a major national bookstore chain in New Zealand, formerly known as Whitcombe & Tombs. It has 62 stores nationally. Whitcombe & Tombs was founded in 1888, and Coulls Somerville Wilkie in 1871. The companies merged in 1971 to form Whitcoulls...
which was itself later purchased by W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
in 2001.
Angus & Robertson is currently under the portfolio of REDgroup, retail operations company owned by Pacific Equity Partners
Pacific Equity Partners
Pacific Equity Partners is a private equity investment firm focusing on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions primarily in Australia and New Zealand...
.
On 17 February 2011, RedGroup Retail (including the Borders
Borders (Asia Pacific)
Borders is a bookseller in the Pacific area of Asia and Australasia. It consists of five Borders stores still open in New Zealand, and formerly Australia and Singapore.-History:...
, Angus & Robertson as well as Whitcoulls chains) were placed into voluntary administration with Ferrier Hodgson
Ferrier Hodgson
Ferrier Hodgson is a group of Accounting firms specialising in Insolvency in the Australian and Asia Pacific region, with offices in all major capital cities in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan...
appointed as administrators.
Demand for payment from smaller publishers
In August 2007, A & R Whitcoulls Group's commercial manager, Charlie Rimmer, sent out a letter demanding payments ranging between $2,500 and $20,000 from smaller distributors and publishers to make up for reduced profitability compared to other suppliers.The letter, leaked by Tower Books to the public, claimed that if the payment was not made, the books from the supplier would no longer be sold in A&R stores. Many publishers have expressed a disbelief at Angus & Robertson's decision, with Tower declaring that they will withdraw supply for Angus & Robertson as per the letter's requirement.
This situation has resulted in Chris Burgess, the general manager of Leading Edge Books
Leading Edge Group
The Leading Edge Group is an Australian owned Buying Group with over 1300 retail shopfronts throughout Australia and NewZealand. It began in 1986 as Electronic Enterprises, a buying group focussed on the home theatre market....
, sending out a parody of the original A&R letter sent to publishers
In response to the situation, Dave Fenlon, Chief Operating Officer at Angus & Robertson, responded by claiming that the whole situation is blown up out of proportion and that A&R is simply negotiating a new business agreement with selected suppliers deemed to not be meeting their obligations to the company and that Angus & Robertson is committed to selling Australian published books from a large range of Australian publishers, large and small.