Ian Allan Manchester bookshop to close

[Darren R]

An announcement has appeared on the Ian Allan website confirming the bad news:

ANNOUNCEMENT - MANCHESTER BOOK & MODEL SHOP
It is with considerable regret that our book and model shop in Manchester will be closing on 30 June 2016. This is due to the expiry of the shop unit’s lease and failure of negotiations with the landlord to agree an acceptable rent.
However, we do retain our other retail outlets in Birmingham and London should you care to visit. Our books and products from other specialist transport publishers can still be obtained, often at a discount, from this website.

We would like to thank our staff and loyal customers in Manchester for their support over the past twenty-two years.

Out of curiosity, am I correct in my assumption that the landlord is Network Rail?

As others have said, it will result in less book purchases for me. Books are on my list of things I refuse to buy online, partly because I want to inspect them first but also on a point of principle; whenever earthly possible I will always choose a small shop before an online multi-national.

Unfortunately most bookshops (the few that have survived) have a very poor transport selection, and Ian Allan was an oasis in this desert. Birmingham or London is a very long way to go from Lancashire just to buy a book, and inevitably it will mean I just don't bother in future.

On a slightly wider issue, the sale of actual books may be holding up in the face of competition from electronic versions - but for how much longer? The majority of book sales occur before Christmas, but the titles sold are the 'popular' books of the day: celebrity 'autobiographies' and big-name authors. I suspect that these types of books are more likely to be the ones sold in electronic format in the years to come, leaving a shrinking niche market for specialist titles in tangible form - in much the same way as has happened to music sales. It pains me to say it, but I think that the writing is on the wall for small booksellers. The predictions made when the Net Book Agreement was scrapped were ignored - and this is the net result. :cry:

 

[furnessvale]

Out of curiosity, am I correct in my assumption that the landlord is Network Rail?

Google gives the owner's name as Realty Estates.

 

[RichmondCommu]

For anything that is out of print Amazon are very good with their second hand sellers. If I'm up in Derbyshire for any longer than a day I will try and get to Bill Hudson at Matlock for new books that interest me but other than that it's the 'net for me.

I commute in and out of Waterloo pretty much Monday to Friday but I've never visited the Ian Allan shop simply because after a long day at work I just want to go home.

 

[edwin_m]

I commute in and out of Waterloo pretty much Monday to Friday but I've never visited the Ian Allan shop simply because after a long day at work I just want to go home.

I've never been to the Waterloo one either, but unless it's changed recently the Manchester one closes on the dot of 5pm every day and must therefore miss a good deal of business from homeward commuters.

 

[neilb62]

Balls... I'll have to find somewhere else to go on a route-review day now...

 

[Ianno87]

Google gives the owner's name as Realty Estates.

The station approach offices were built and originally owned by BR, but were sold off a long time ago (definitely some time pre-1994).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The station approach offices were built and originally owned by BR, but were sold off a long time ago (definitely some time pre-1994).

That building, as some of you will be aware, is in a long process of refurbishment at present

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Like other posters I have spent many an hour and lots of money there over the years. Many's the time I've called in "for a quick browse" and left £50 or more lighter. It will be missed.

Has anyone else managed to spend money in all four branches at some point?!

 

[Techniquest]

I can't remember if I've ever bought anything in the Waterloo store, mind you I think I've only ever visited it once and wouldn't know where it is now without researching it. Must be 10 years since I last went in that one! Might have to remedy that soon...

 

[Busaholic]

Strangely, it tends to be Ian Allan's own books that I buy off Amazon rather from their own shop - the books I buy from the shop tend to be ones that I can't obtain easily elsewhere. Take for example, one of their recently published books, Diesel & Electric Locomotives for Scrap. Ian Allan are charging £35.00 for it if I buy it direct from them, either in their shop or online. Alternatively, I can buy it from Amazon for £22.75. To requote, Ian Allan have made their bed....

Ian Allan Publishers aka Midland Counties Publications are the exception to the general rule that Amazon do not discount transport books i.e. Ian Allan are willing to provide Amazon at deeply discounted prices. I would be VERY surprised if the Ian Allan imprint survives beyond a year from now by the way. Capital Transport Publishing titles, which are well-regarded by enthusiasts, attract no discount whatever from Amazon!

 

[RichmondCommu]

I've never been to the Waterloo one either, but unless it's changed recently the Manchester one closes on the dot of 5pm every day and must therefore miss a good deal of business from homeward commuters.

That is astonishing. What is the point in having a bookshop close by to what must be one of the busiest commuter stations in Europe if you are unable to serve the market.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Ian Allan Publishers aka Midland Counties Publications are the exception to the general rule that Amazon do not discount transport books i.e. Ian Allan are willing to provide Amazon at deeply discounted prices. I would be VERY surprised if the Ian Allan imprint survives beyond a year from now by the way. Capital Transport Publishing titles, which are well-regarded by enthusiasts, attract no discount whatever from Amazon!

That in my opinion would be a great shame. I'm currently reading A Year In The Life Of The Great Western by Ian Allan and it's a book full of interest.

 

[Southwest]

Sadly, another statistic of the times.

Any specialist bookshop, irrespective of genre, are at risk from internet sales.

 

[Peter749]

I've never been to the Waterloo one either, but unless it's changed recently the Manchester one closes on the dot of 5pm every day and must therefore miss a good deal of business from homeward commuters.

Actually they only close at 5 pm on Saturdays. The rest of the week it is 5.30 and has been for the many years I have regularly shopped there.

Peter
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Google gives the owner's name as Realty Estates.

Actually Realty Estates sold the building to HSBC who are the people currently carrying out the refurbishment to turn it into an Aparthotel.

There was a coffee shop on the approach who have had to move recently because of the big increase in rent HSBC now want to charge the remaining tenants.

Peter

 

[RichmondCommu]

Actually they only close at 5 pm on Saturdays. The rest of the week it is 5.30 and has been for the many years I have regularly shopped there.

I'm afraid that won't make a scrap of difference to the average commuter. Close the shop at 19.00 and those commuters that don't have a home cooked dinner / wife / children to go home to would be calling in. At 17.30 many commuters are only just leaving the office (if they're lucky).

 

[edwin_m]

Actually they only close at 5 pm on Saturdays. The rest of the week it is 5.30 and has been for the many years I have regularly shopped there.

Yes you're right (according to Google). Apologies for mis-remembering. On my trips to Manchester I'm usually heading for return trains about 1745 or an hour later so I miss it whatever happens.

 

[furnessvale]

Yes you're right (according to Google). Apologies for mis-remembering. On my trips to Manchester I'm usually heading for return trains about 1745 or an hour later so I miss it whatever happens.

At the risk of stretching things even further, If I owned a shop on the approach ramp to a busy city centre station, I would consider opening until 1900hrs given the footfall.

 

[Busaholic]

At the risk of stretching things even further, If I owned a shop on the approach ramp to a busy city centre station, I would consider opening until 1900hrs given the footfall.

I don't claim to speak for Ian Allan Bookshops or any bookshop other than my own in a smallish town. I tried opening evenings in the summer, on a Sunday when no other shops in my street opened etc etc and, believe me or not, it just doesn't work, even though I only employed myself! Yes, people are happy to find a shop open and will happily 'browse' but actual sales were few and far between, even when I had a well-stocked, well-run shop which I used to do, even though I say so myself. Obviously, there was the odd occasion when good sales were made, often to just one individual, but, generally, if you were having to pay one or two people on minimum wage, plus lighting, heating, etc it wouldn't work.

Regarding the Ian Allan imprint, they have already stopped publishing bus books, Pen and Sword Books of S.Yorkshire having agreed to take on 3 titles as a trial. Something similar may well happen with their railway titles.

 

[edwin_m]

I don't claim to speak for Ian Allan Bookshops or any bookshop other than my own in a smallish town. I tried opening evenings in the summer, on a Sunday when no other shops in my street opened etc etc and, believe me or not, it just doesn't work, even though I only employed myself! Yes, people are happy to find a shop open and will happily 'browse' but actual sales were few and far between, even when I had a well-stocked, well-run shop which I used to do, even though I say so myself. Obviously, there was the odd occasion when good sales were made, often to just one individual, but, generally, if you were having to pay one or two people on minimum wage, plus lighting, heating, etc it wouldn't work.

There might be a difference between a bookshop in a smallish town opening when all the other shops were closed, and a bookshop on the doorstep of a big city station closing when nearly all the other shops were still open!

I see their opening time is 0900 - perhaps they would have been better both opening and closing an hour or two later.

 

[Peter749]

At the risk of stretching things even further, If I owned a shop on the approach ramp to a busy city centre station, I would consider opening until 1900hrs given the footfall.

If you could afford the rent
Don't forget that the bookshop is a specialist Transport and Military shop with a Model Rail section.
The number of those people heading to and from the station who are looking for such a shop is limited compared with the people who go to Waterstones or another bookshop.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There might be a difference between a bookshop in a smallish town opening when all the other shops were closed, and a bookshop on the doorstep of a big city station closing when nearly all the other shops were still open!

I see their opening time is 0900 - perhaps they would have been better both opening and closing an hour or two later.

I don't think it would make much difference. Most people passing thru know what time their train departs and know if they miss it they could get home an hour later than normal - which after a long day at work I would prefer my ride home.

Peter

 

[Busaholic]

There might be a difference between a bookshop in a smallish town opening when all the other shops were closed, and a bookshop on the doorstep of a big city station closing when nearly all the other shops were still open!

I see their opening time is 0900 - perhaps they would have been better both opening and closing an hour or two later.

I take your point, but when Waterstone's was eponymous many of their stores opened until 8 to 10 p.m.. depending on location. Borders did likewise, and who remembers them now/ There is no culture of evening shopping other than for groceries/booze/fags, and, even then, in the case of the supermarkets, they are basically remaining open while restocking for the following day takes place. Anyway, all irrelevant now, the shop's going and won't be replaced.

 

[edwin_m]

I take your point, but when Waterstone's was eponymous many of their stores opened until 8 to 10 p.m.. depending on location. Borders did likewise, and who remembers them now/ There is no culture of evening shopping other than for groceries/booze/fags, and, even then, in the case of the supermarkets, they are basically remaining open while restocking for the following day takes place. Anyway, all irrelevant now, the shop's going and won't be replaced.

When I've stayed over in Manchester a large number of the city centre shops have stayed open well into the evening. The big M&S for example (the clothes one, not the Simply Food) is open to 7:30 Monday to Saturday.

 

[Techniquest]

"Supermarkets staying open while restocking takes place for the following day"? What do you think we do in supermarkets all day then?! Supermarkets open in the evenings because that's how people do things these days. Evenings and weekends is where the bulk of the business is, but it's hardly a ghost town during the day. Stock replenishment is a 24-hourly, 7 days a week job, not just in the evenings for the next day :roll:

 

[Busaholic]

"Supermarkets staying open while restocking takes place for the following day"? What do you think we do in supermarkets all day then?! Supermarkets open in the evenings because that's how people do things these days. Evenings and weekends is where the bulk of the business is, but it's hardly a ghost town during the day. Stock replenishment is a 24-hourly, 7 days a week job, not just in the evenings for the next day :roll:

OK, so tell me why Tesco, the largest supermarket operator by far, has scrapped 24 hour opening in so many places, and Sainsbury's has dropped closing times back from 11p.m or midnight too, often in the largest towns/cities? I have a friend in a management role in our local Tesco and she says that, as security issues are low, then their opening to the public is on the basis that only one till person is employed at a time while restocking takes place. Actually, if you go into that Tesco at 11 p.m. you'll only find about six cars in the carpark and you have to manoeuvre past all the cages in the aisles with many more staff restocking shelves/ moving stuff around. No-one is claiming restocking isn't taking place during the day.

 

[Peter749]

When I've stayed over in Manchester a large number of the city centre shops have stayed open well into the evening. The big M&S for example (the clothes one, not the Simply Food) is open to 7:30 Monday to Saturday.

But there is a big difference between a big country wide chain and a small specialist bookshop. Have a look at the smaller shops in most towns and cities and you will find they close about 5.30 to 6.00

Peter

 

[Techniquest]

OK, so tell me why Tesco, the largest supermarket operator by far, has scrapped 24 hour opening in so many places, and Sainsbury's has dropped closing times back from 11p.m or midnight too, often in the largest towns/cities? I have a friend in a management role in our local Tesco and she says that, as security issues are low, then their opening to the public is on the basis that only one till person is employed at a time while restocking takes place. Actually, if you go into that Tesco at 11 p.m. you'll only find about six cars in the carpark and you have to manoeuvre past all the cages in the aisles with many more staff restocking shelves/ moving stuff around. No-one is claiming restocking isn't taking place during the day.

Certainly it was implied we only fill in the evening! Our store stays busy all evening until around 10pm, sometimes by 9pm but it does vary a little. You'd be surprised how busy supermarkets are in the evenings these days, which ironically is when most supermarket colleagues start going home. Replenishment is a complicated process, believe it or not, not to mention more challenging than the average person thinks.

However this is far from the topic at hand, and having spent all week in a supermarket I'm going to shut up about it!

 

[Busaholic]

Certainly it was implied we only fill in the evening! Our store stays busy all evening until around 10pm, sometimes by 9pm but it does vary a little. You'd be surprised how busy supermarkets are in the evenings these days, which ironically is when most supermarket colleagues start going home. Replenishment is a complicated process, believe it or not, not to mention more challenging than the average person thinks.

However this is far from the topic at hand, and having spent all week in a supermarket I'm going to shut up about it!

I've been very interested in what would now be called the 'retail experience' all my life - must be my descent on one side from a Welsh draper's family! Unlike most heterosexual males I actually enjoy shopping, even window shopping - mind you, I draw the line at clothes shopping with my wife. I believe that shops will always have a place no matter how the internet develops, as so many people like mingling with others, seeing what it is they're buying (or deciding not to) etc.

As you say, it's off-topic, so I shall shut up too.

 

[Rail Ranger]

The Ian Alan Manchester bookshop has now closed. Its last day of trading was yesterday, Wednesday 1st June.

 

[Techniquest]

Darn, I forgot to get up before it closed. Can't imagine it will be much longer before Birmingham and London lose their stores too!

 

[amateur]

I don't claim to speak for Ian Allan Bookshops or any bookshop other than my own in a smallish town. I tried opening evenings in the summer, on a Sunday when no other shops in my street opened etc etc and, believe me or not, it just doesn't work, even though I only employed myself! Yes, people are happy to find a shop open and will happily 'browse' but actual sales were few and far between, even when I had a well-stocked, well-run shop which I used to do, even though I say so myself. Obviously, there was the odd occasion when good sales were made, often to just one individual, but, generally, if you were having to pay one or two people on minimum wage, plus lighting, heating, etc it wouldn't work.

Regarding the Ian Allan imprint, they have already stopped publishing bus books, Pen and Sword Books of S.Yorkshire having agreed to take on 3 titles as a trial. Something similar may well happen with their railway titles.

Which bookshop/smallish town do you work for?

 

[Greenback]

Darn, I forgot to get up before it closed. Can't imagine it will be much longer before Birmingham and London lose their stores too!

I'm afraid that will be the case. I think the writing has been on the wall for a while now.