Eason & Son has signed a license with the Dublin Airport Authority to take over all of Hughes & Hughes’ stores in Cork and Dublin airports.
The DAA confirmed this afternoon that Eason will take over the five stores in Dublin Airport and two in Cork Airport.
As part of the deal it is ‘likely’ that 120 Hughes & Hughes staff will be kept on.
Instead of paying a fixed annual rent Eason will pay the DAA a percentage of turnover. Hughes & Hughes operated under a similar arrangement with the Authority.
Hughes and Hughes announced less than a week ago that it was going into receivership and closing all of its 13 stores, however all of its airport-based stores had been kept open by the Receiver trading with existing stock.
Eason said the new license to operate takes effect from tomorrow.
‘These are prestigious retail locations and we decided to take up this opportunity, despite the challenging marketplace at present’, Managing Director of Eason Conor Whelan said.
The new airport outlets increase the number of Eason stores to 54.
Eason said the Dublin and Cork airport bookshop licences were viewed as the ‘most attractive’ part of Hughes & Hughes’ business.
It said more than 20 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport last year, while 2.8 million went through Cork Airport.
Responding to the news, Managing Director of Penguin Ireland Michael McLoughlin said he was pleased that a ‘strong retailer who understands the business has taken over the stores.’
He said it is ‘good for Irish publishers and Irish books’ adding that he is happy to see that the stores would not be closed for any time.
Managing Director of O’Brien Press Ivan O’Brien said he was ‘delighted that the airport shops are staying in Irish ownership and that Irish cultural heritage will be preserved,’ adding that he was pleased that ‘Irish buyers who know Irish habits will be stocking the shops.’
Echoing those sentiments, Co-Founder of Liberties Press Peter O’Connell welcomed the move and the large number of jobs retained. He said it is a good result for Irish publishers.
However, sources within the publishing industry expressed some concern that the seven new outlets give Eason more dominance in the Irish bookselling market and would lead to increased pressure on trading terms.
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