the collapse of Angus & Robertson and the culture of bookselling in

197 Pages·2016·4.04 MB·English

by  Carly Johanna Been

Australian Catholic University
ACU Research Bank
Theses Document Types
11-2012
Remainders of the day: the collapse of Angus &
Robertson and the culture of bookselling in
Australia
Carly Johanna Been
Australian Catholic University
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Recommended Citation
Been, C. J. (2012). Remainders of the day: the collapse of Angus & Robertson and the culture of bookselling in Australia (Doctoral
thesis, Australian Catholic University). Retrieved from http://researchbank.acu.edu.au/theses/406
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REMAINDERS OF THE DAY:

THE COLLAPSE OF ANGUS & ROBERTSON AND THE
CULTURE OF BOOKSELLING IN AUSTRALIA

SUBMITTED BY

Carly Johanna Been, BA (Hons)

A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Master of Philosophy

School of Arts and Sciences
Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Australian Catholic University
Research Services
Locked Bag 4115,
Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia

Date of Submission
November 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………...4

STATEMENT OF APPRECIATION………………………………………………..5

ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………..6

LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………….8

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….9

CHAPTER OUTLINE………………………………………………………………13

LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………………17

METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………..22

CHAPTER ONE:
Booksellers and Publishers - Issues facing the Australian Book Industry......30

Parallel Importation………………………………………………………………...44

Competition from Other Media and Conglomeration of Media Ownership…..51

Distribution and Environmental Sustainability…………………………………..56

Online Retailing and General Retail Pressures…………………………………59

CHAPTER TWO:
The Original Angus & Robertson – The Bookselling Philosophy and Legacy of
George Robertson…………………………………………………………………62

The Halstead Press………………………………………………………………..67

The Original Publishing Department……………………………………………..68

Publishing During Angus & Robertson’s “Golden” Era………………………...71

George Robertson: Commercial Retailer………………………………………..74

George Robertson: Bookseller and Prescriber of Culture……………………..78

Bookseller’s Philosophy…………………………………………………………...80

The Takeover Era………………………………………………………………….82

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CHAPTER THREE:
The Demise of REDgroup Retail.....................................................................90

A Revolution in Book Production…………………………………………………91

Prophecies of Gloom and Doom: Media Reports on the Death of Books……93

Media Promotion of Apple’s iPad and Other Ereading Technology……….....96

Go Book Go: Bricks-and-Mortar Bookstores Here to Stay…………………..100

The Collapse of REDgroup……………………………………………………...102

The Tower Book Affair…………………………………………………………...102

How REDgroup Failed…………………………………………………………...109

CHAPTER FOUR:
Bookselling in a Post-REDgroup Australia…………………………………….116

CHAPTER FIVE:
Indies Unite –The Cultural Importance of the Independent Bookstore to Book
Culture in Australia……………………………………………………………….129

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………159

APPENDIX A: Booksellers in South-East Queensland………………………162

APPENDIX B: Ethics Approval Form…………………………………………..166

APPENDIX C: Information Letter for Interview Participants…………………167

APPENDIX D: Consent Form for Interview Participants……………………..170

APPENDIX E: List of Interview Questions……………………………………..171

WORKS CITED…………………………………………………………………...172

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4
STATEMENT OF APPRECIATION

This work is dedicated to all my family members and friends who, while not
quite sure why I keep studying, still continue to support me lovingly and
wholeheartedly. Thank you. I appreciate all of you more than you know.

This thesis is also dedicated to the many passionate book lovers and readers
I have met through working at Angus & Robertson, some who have promised
faithfully to read the work in its entirety when it is finished. I will shortly be
taking them up on this offer.

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ABSTRACT

Bookselling in Australia has altered irreversibly since the collapse of
REDgroup Retail, owner of the Angus & Robertson and Borders brands. A
popular
 but misleading explanation in the media for the REDgroup collapse
was the emergence of eBooks and other competitive technologies. While the
essential cause of the business’ failure was debt, the supermarket philosophy
of the management team produced a corporate model of bookselling destined
to fail as they lost sight of books as their primary product and the cultural
value attached to the object of the book. Other significant factors that
contributed to the collapse were the proliferation of similar format bookstores
in close proximity to each other, failing to offer a point of difference between
REDgroup chain stores and other competing bookstores, and being unable to
effectively compete on price with discount department stores. Other indirect
issues that continue to concern the industry include relationships between
booksellers and publishers, the changing nature of the parallel importation
debate, competition from other media and the financial and environmental
cost of distribution. The failure of REDgroup was the end point of a corporate
model of bookselling that the industry in Australia could not accept, but there
were many problems that caused the collapse, with technology seized on by
the media as a simple answer to a complex set of circumstances.

Booksellers contribute to the cultural and commercial life of Australia by
fostering a book buying and book reading culture. Independent bookstore
owners are the key to sustaining a strong bricks-and-mortar bookselling

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industry as they continue to foster a sense of connectedness with the wider
book community. Providing experiences to engage an existing or prospective
book buyer is one of the main ways bookstores promote connectedness, with
the ambience and experience of in-store events impossible to replicate online.

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Effect of competitor closure on sales of remaining stores …119

LIST OF INTERVIEWEES

Interview Participant Industry Occupation
Eltham, Kate CEO, Queensland Writer’s Centre
(QWC)
Hibbins, Benette Ex-REDgroup A&R Franchisee;
Owner – Love That Book
Love, Joanna Ex-A&R Store Manager
Neil, Malcolm Ex-REDgroup Retail Group
Communications Manager; Director of
Vendor Relations Asia Pacific Kobo
Inc.
Stager, Fiona Owner – Avid Reader
Walkem, Stephanie Ex-REDgroup A&R Franchisee;
Continuing A&R Franchisee
Walker, Kevin Ex-REDgroup Queensland &
Northern Territory Business Manager,
Casual Leasing; Owner - Can Do
Books

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INTRODUCTION

The collapse of Angus & Robertson in 2011 was a watershed moment in
Australia’s bookselling history. The mainstream media blamed the fall of one
of the country’s oldest, largest and most iconic bookstores on an increasing
trend towards online book buying by consumers, and a strong Australian
dollar making it cheaper to buy books overseas. The real reasons behind the
collapse were far more complex. The failure of REDgroup was the end point
of a corporate model of bookselling that the industry in Australia could not
support. The nature of A&R’s failure is best explained through a study of
contemporary bookselling culture. Studies with a focus on the role of retail
booksellers to the furthering of book culture, in Australia and internationally,
are increasing but bookselling is still underrepresented as a topic in the work
of book and cultural historians. This study, using information directly from
book industry professionals and focusing on the specific case of the Angus &
Robertson collapse, its long-term causes and probable cultural
consequences, is designed to address academic obliviousness regarding the
role book retailers have in the creation of book buying and book reading
culture. Early Australian bookselling professionals established a book reading
and buying culture through their knowledge, professionalism and passion, and
contemporary Australian independent booksellers continue this culture
despite many local and global challenges.

This study has a two-fold argument: firstly that REDgroup Retail, owner of the
Angus & Robertson and Borders bookselling brands, collapsed due to debt
and a fatal combination of basic retail pressures. This is in opposition to the

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