Wesley Owen faces closure as IBS-STL decides to ‘exit the business’
The Bible Society has called for urgent consultation over the future of Christian bookshops, after Monday’s announcement by the Christian book distributor and Bible charity IBS-STL that it is to sell its UK operations. They include the 40 Wesley Owen bookshops.
The company said that financial problems, alongside supply and ser-vice difficulties in its distribution and retail outlets, had led to a “decision to exit the business”, a statement said. STL, formerly Send the Light, merged with the International Bible Society (IBS) in 2007 to become one of the world’s biggest not-for-profit book distributors.
Rumours that the company’s UK operation was going into liquidation or administration were dismissed in August by the chief executive, Keith Danby. “There is no immediate crisis,” he said at the time. “We are working hard to overcome the current difficulties and return to a normal cash position as soon as possible.”
When Mr Danby, global president of IBS-STL, took over leadership of the UK charity in February this year, he confessed to being “deeply embarrassed” by the shortcomings of its new computerised ordering system, SAP.
• Full story at the Church Times.