ICRS Changes With the Times
While attendees at the just-concluded annual meeting of the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla., were pleased at the event’s continued expansion beyond the retail sector, attendance was down. ICRS confirmed that 3,002 people attended the show, a 25% decline from 2014.
Sears Canada Head to Run Barnes & Noble
Ron Boire, named CEO of B&N’s retail group, will also take over as CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc. when the spin- off of Barnes & Noble Education is completed later this summer. In addition to the appointment of Boire, Jamie Carey, chief merchandise officer of B&N since 2008, has been named chief operating officer.
Graphic Novel, Comics Market Rises to $935 Million in 2014
Led by increases in the book trade, combined sales of graphic novels and periodical comics in North America reached $935 million in 2014, a 7% increase over 2013, according to a joint report by comics trade news sites ICV2 and Comichron.
Scribd Dramatically Reduces Romance List
In the first serious setback to the viability of the e-book subscription model, Scribd is dramatically reducing the number of romance and erotica titles it offers. In a letter sent to publishers, Scribd said that with its title count now more than one million, it needs to “adjust the proportion of titles across genres to ensure that we can continue to expand the overall size and variety of our service.”
Avin Mark Domnitz Dies At 71
Former American Booksellers Association CEO Avin Domnitz died of cancer on June 27. He was 71. Among the initiatives started during his tenure were the creation of Book Sense (now IndieBound) and Winter Institute.
