Australian bookstore chain Dymocks has warned customers of a potential data breach, Books+Publishing reported. In an e-mail to customers, Dymocks said it became aware on September 6 that "an unauthorized party may have accessed some of its customer records, prompting Dymocks to launch an investigation to assess what happened with cybersecurity advisers."
"While our investigation is ongoing and at the early stages, our cybersecurity experts have found evidence of discussions regarding our customer records being available on the dark web," the company said. "At this stage it is unclear which customers may be impacted. We are letting everyone know as soon as possible because the incident may affect customer records and we are committed to being open and transparent."
Noting that it does not hold or store customer financial information, Dymocks warned information that could have been compromised includes date of birth, postal address, e-mail address, mobile number, gender and membership details. The company advised customers to take several precautionary steps and said it will provide updated guidance as more information becomes available.
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German bookstore chain Thalia has opened a dedicated English-language bookshop in Berlin. The Bookseller reported that a strong demand for English-language books in the country prompted the launch of the English Bookstore by Thalia, located in the Mall of Berlin, where it "ranks as a pop-up store but it is far removed from the short-term, provisional set-up usually connected with that name."
Occupying more than 2,000 square feet next to a Thalia branch store of slightly larger size, English Bookstore by Thalia will remain open for at least two years, according to sales director Johannes Brancke, who said, "English-language books are currently very popular in our shops, especially in an international environment as we see it in Berlin. By giving them more room in a dedicated space we are simply taking the next step."
According to Media Control, demand for English-language books in Germany is up, with general sales growing 6% so far in 2023 and fiction rising 11%. Berlin "has established itself as the leader of the pack with the English Bookshop by Thalia joining a handful of well-established English-language bookshops all reporting brisk trade," the Bookseller reported.
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Italians buy three times as many books as they did 40 years ago. The European & International Booksellers Federation's Newsflash reported that a recent article from Giornale della Libreria "examined the changes in book purchases throughout the decades. The article dispels the myth that people buy fewer books than before--113 million printed copies in 2022 vs. 43 million in 1980.
"As they point out, this belief of decrease is due to a more fragmented structure of the market--15,790 titles were published in 1980, and 83,950 in 2023--making the average number of copies per title lower than before," Newsflash noted.
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The Canadian Independent Booksellers Association's Meet Our Member series featured La Maison Anglaise, Quebec City's locally owned and independent English- and Spanish-language bookstore, which has recently expanded with a new location in Gatineau. CIBA spoke with owner Guy Dubois. Among the highlights of the q&a:
In addition to your wide selection of English-language books, I understand you also have a growing Spanish section. Has this always been an important area for you?
The interest for Spanish books started with the creation of Vision Trilingual Schools. We started developing this area of our business around 2008. By 2010 we saw growth in the Hispanic community in Quebec which helped us to develop that market. For the past five years, we have been working closely with the Quebec Libraries Network to develop a Spanish collection.
What do you love most about being an independent bookseller?
Being an independent bookseller is really demanding at many levels, but it gives us a lot of autonomy. Being closer to your customers and to your business partners is a treat. Customers will bring you a wider knowledge of authors, books, and topics because they share your passion. They feel they are home and part of the family. --Robert Gray