ABA asks publishers for support during Covid-19 outbreak

The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) is asking publishers to consider a range of assistance measures for member stores in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

In an email to members, ABA CEO Robbie Egan—who has been speaking with publishers about the issues facing bookstores—said these potential measures include extended payment terms, increased base discounts, an extended returns window and free freight on returns, continuous communication through the ABA, and amplifying bookshops’ social media.

‘Publishers are dealing with the same crisis we are, of course, so we must work closely with them to achieve outcomes that keep us all in business,’ Egan said. ‘They will want to work with you all on an individual basis, but I have sought to engage with the idea of protocols and/or improved terms at a broader level.’

Egan said the industry ‘needs to ensure that cash flow can be maintained for as long as possible prior to and even during a shut-down’ and that ‘we manage the inevitable returns and credits by coming to agreements rather than simply sending everything back’.

Category: Local news