In the U.K. and Ireland, 2025 Christmas sales were mixed, according to survey data released by the Booksellers Association. The Bookseller reported that there are growing worries about rising costs, and even though "a healthy number of indie bookshops have opened their doors over the past year, closures remain a concern." The number of indie bookshops increased to 1,069 during 2025, with 77 new openings and 41 closures.
The survey data showed that 53% of U.K. booksellers said Christmas sales were up compared to 2024, with 26% reporting sales down and 21% broadly the same. In addition, 41% of bookshops saw an increase in footfall compared with the same period in 2024, while 29% noted a decline, and 30% saw no significant change. Regarding average transactions, 42% of booksellers reported an increase, 33% no change, and 26% a decrease.
Confidence in 2026 "is being undermined by the expectation of higher operating costs," the Bookseller noted, citing survey data that showed 57% of booksellers identified business taxes as a key concern and 82% of English bookshops said changes to business taxes have made them more reluctant to invest in their businesses. Additionally, 81% of respondents cited the impact of cost-of-living on consumer spending, and 61% of respondents flagged staffing costs and recruitment pressures.
In Ireland, the survey revealed that only 32% of booksellers reported Christmas sales were up over the previous year, with 50% saying sales were down and the remainder reporting broadly stable sales. While average transactions were comparable, increases in footfall were more sluggish, with 26% of booksellers noting increases. There were four indie bookshop openings in 2025 and no closures, bringing the total to 124 outlets, the Bookseller noted.
"It's genuinely encouraging to see more independent bookshops opening than closing; that doesn't happen by accident," said BA managing director Meryl Halls. "It reflects the entrepreneurialism, ingenuity and sheer hard work of booksellers across the U.K. and Ireland. But 41 closures in a single year are still 41 too many, and they are a reminder of just how fine the financial margins in the sector remain.... If bookshops are to continue playing their vital cultural and community role during the National Year of Reading and beyond, they need meaningful and tangible support from government, the wider book trade and from consumers."
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| Ruth Alltimes | |
Hachette Children's Group has restructured the Hachette UK children's division with the launch of three new imprints under the new leadership of managing director Ruth Alltimes, the Bookseller reported. The new imprints are Starboard (middle-grade fiction), Tempest (YA and crossover), and Blyton Books, which becomes the Enid Blyton publishing arm of HCG, alongside Enid Blyton Entertainment, the estate of Enid Blyton, also owned by HCG.
HCG retains Orchard Books, Wren & Rook, Franklin Watts and Wayland, and Laurence King Publishing, while Welbeck Children's Books will become the company's B2B custom children's publishing imprint. Being phased out are Hodder Children's Books, Orion Children's Books, Quercus Children's Books, Pat-a-Cake, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
"In this National Year of Reading, I am excited to be making this announcement and revealing how we will be showcasing HCG's brilliantly broad list in this vibrant, clearer, more accessible way," Alltimes said. "We are so proud to have grown from the coming together of several incredible children's imprints over the years. We are committed to raising readers and hooking them into reading for fun, whatever their age, stage or interest, and these revised imprints allow us to create meaningful homes for every type of book we publish, every author, illustrator and brand."