A little more than six months after acquiring Baker & Taylor from the Follett Corp., new owner Amandeep Kochar sold Baker & Taylor UK to the Little Group, parent company of the U.K.'s largest wholesaler, Gardners Books. Kochar, who was B&T CEO and president when he acquired B&T, retains his U.S. businesses. The purchase marks further consolidation in the U.K.'s wholesale sector following the collapse in 2020 of Gardners' rival, Bertrams, and the Little Group's acquisition of its assets.
Gareth Powell, Baker & Taylor UK executive chairman, and Annette Burgess, managing director, remain on the board of directors and involved in the day-to-day running of the company. The senior management team remains in place too, as does the company's distinct identity.
Jonathan Little, chairman of the Little Group, said: "We are pleased to welcome Baker & Taylor UK to the group, complementing our offer to the U.K. and international book markets, and we look forward to building on this to provide even better services in the future for both new and existing customers."
Powell and Burgess said: "We are delighted to be joining the Little Group for the next exciting chapter in the Baker & Taylor UK story. We are proud of the immense progress the business has made, particularly against the backdrop of the challenges of the last two years. Our teams have worked tirelessly, with skill and commitment, to make this business stronger than it has ever been and we are now honored to take this forward with the support of our loyal customers for the new horizons this opens."
A version of this story appeared in the U.K. newsletter BookBrunch.
