Hodder sees sales grow after collapse of NBA
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Your support makes all the difference.The collapse of the net book agreement pushed revenues at Hodder Headline, the pioneer publisher, up 10 per cent in 1995 to just under $90m (pounds 58m), writes Mathew Horsman.
According to unaudited figures, sales recovered strongly in the fourth quarter, following a disappointing summer. The company, which left the NBA in 1994, nearly a year before the minimum price maintenance accord collapsed, said that 1996 had started strongly, fuelled by January sales at book shops.
"Not all our sales growth came from the end of the NBA," Tim Hely Hutchinson, Hodder's chief executive, said last night. "But is is certainly better now that all booksellers and publishers are on the same side of the fence."
He added that the company was exploring new ways of increasing volumes, including giving booksellers higher discounts provided they were willing to accept firm sales of inventory. In some cases, booksellers report, publishers are willing to provide trade discounts of as much as 60 per cent, compared with the more normal 40 per cent of the NBA era.
Mr Hely Hutchinson said his publishing group, which includes the Hodder & Stoughton imprint, was also willing to provide sharp discounts in order to promote new authors.
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