As part of its merger plans, Booktrade.info reports that EUK plan to transfer THE‘s trade wholesale business to Bertrams by the middle of this year, which – according to the Bookseller – will result in the loss of up to 640 jobs. In a letter to customers Lloyd Wigglesworth, Managing Director of EUK, said “This has not been an easy decision but the fact that Bertrams’ Norwich operation is a dedicated ‘books only’ facility which stocks a significantly larger range than THE was a major component in our thinking.”
Meanwhile the supermarket facing business will be transferred to the EUK facility in Hayes, so the Norwich operation will be focused entirely on the book trade. Bertrams|THE will continue to service the library and related business from the Bertram Library Services operation in Leeds.