Friday, December 18, 2009

GOOD NEWS FOR THE NZ TRADE FROM HARPER COLLINS THIS MORNING -
AND THE BOOKMAN SAYS, BRAVO !!


HarperCollins Publishers Re-affirms its Commitment to New Zealand Distribution

HarperCollins Publishers has renewed the lease on its Glenfield distribution centre in Auckland on a long term basis.

Having carried out an extensive analysis of its operations both here and in Australia the company has determined that it is in the best interests of its customers and authors to maintain local distribution within this market. The company carried out the analysis of its operations whilst at the same time listening to what its customers and other stakeholders had to say.

Our view is that local distribution and stockholding gives us the ability to react quickly and with flexibility to the demands of the market”, said Tony Fisk, Managing Director, HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand. “This is particularly critical at key times in the bookselling calendar when customers quite rightly demand a rapid response to trading conditions. For example, having our own facility enables us to process Christmas orders right up to the last minute so that we can help our customers maximise every sales opportunity.”
The results of the analysis proved that HarperCollins Publisher’s Auckland distribution centre is effective, efficient and competitive when measured against offshore options.

“At Glenfield we have a highly skilled and experienced team who are dedicated to providing excellence in customer service standards,” said Mr Fisk. “It is great that we are going to be able to continue to provide continuity of employment for our people and an ongoing level support for our customers which meet their needs.”

Footnote:
Thank you Tony, New Zealand booksellers, and many others too, will be delighted with your decision. Bravo I say, and Merry Christmas to you and your colleagues.

1 comment:

Bookseller. said...

Congratulations to Harper Collins.This is great news for the NZ retail book trade and for all NZ bookbuyers.
Two major publishing houses now supply NZ out of their Australian warehouses and both notified us that the last day for orders to be supplied before Xmas was 15th of December.
So we are back in the dark ages so far as speed of delivery from these publishers.
We anticipate being able to place orders with Random and Harper Collins [both of whom still have NZ warehouses] up until next Tuesday and still get deliveries before Xmas.
Both the NZ publishers with Australian warehouses are significant publishers of NZ books and you can see the bewilderment on customer's faces when we explain that their order for a NZ book could take up to 9 days to get here because it is coming from Australia.