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Four Blackwell shops named among The Independent's 50 Best Bookshops


Blackwell's Oxford, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Cambridge Heffers shops receive recognition.


In a recent issue of The Independent's supplement magazine The Information, four Blackwell shops were voted by a panel of judges to be among the 50 Best Bookshops in the UK, more than any other bookselling chain. From the historic flagship shop in Oxford and the Blackwell owned Heffers in Cambridge, to the northerly branches of Newcastle and Edinburgh, the bookselling expertise of Blackwell can be found nationwide.


Blackwell, Oxford


Blackwell, Oxford

Benjamin Henry Blackwell first opened the doors of Blackwell Oxford on New Year's Day, 1879. The shop was originally only twelve feet square but quickly grew to incorporate the upstairs, cellar and neighbouring shops. Over 125 years on, the shop continues to trade from the same location. From the 10,000 square foot Norrington Room which houses 160,000 volumes on over three miles of shelving, to the unique Rare Books and Second-hand departments, Blackwell of Oxford is a bookshop steeped in history.


Tony Cooper, Manager of the shop comments:


"The Independent's description of 50 Broad Street as 'one of the world's landmark bookshops' is a delightful description and one that is thoroughly deserved. It is rare to find a retailer that has set up shop and traded successfully on the same site for well over 125 years. The culture, atmosphere and stock range are vital to the success of any of the top 50 bookshops in the article and none more so than at 50 Broad Street. We have a reputation for excellent customer service and a strong sense of tradition and history, put these together with a great academic book selection and you have a very fine bookshop indeed."


Heffers, Cambridge

Heffers, Cambridge


Heffers has been trading in Cambridge for more than 130 years and is part of the Blackwell chain. The shop has always been regarded as the academic bookshop in Cambridge but it has also always served the needs of customers wanting general subjects like Children's and Crime Fiction. Today the shop serves customers all over the UK, Europe and beyond, supplying schools, libraries and many different types of businesses with books, other printed materials, DVDs and maps.


David Robinson, Manager of the shop comments:


"We were delighted to be considered one of the country's top 50 bookshops. We like to think that we reflect everything that is good about the Blackwell brand whilst keeping a strong focus on what our customers want locally - which is why our Crime Fiction section continues to thrive."


Blackwell, Newcastle


Blackwell, Newcastle

Blackwell took over from Thornes student bookshop in August 1998. The building had previously been a Grand Hotel and a lot of the original architectural features from this time can still be seen today throughout the bookshop. Traditionally specialising in the areas of Medical and Science, the shop now has strong Language and Humanities departments due to strong links with the University.


Liz Nugent, Acting Deputy Manager of the shop says:


"Newcastle was over the moon to be featured in the article. We are really proud of the recognition we are receiving for our hard work in expanding our events calendar and feel that it is a great advert for Newcastle and the North East especially as we often get sidelined in favour of bigger or London based shops. All our staff are pleased with our entry and feel that our already loyal customers will be too."


Blackwell, Edinburgh

Blackwell, Edinburgh


Edinburgh South Bridge is Blackwell's flagship Scottish shop and is situated in the heart of the historic old town close to the main campus of Edinburgh University. Originally occupied by the long established bookselling family of James Thin, South Bridge has been serving book lovers since 1848. The shop was acquired by Blackwell in 2002. South Bridge is not only a Mecca for academic books, but also caters for every aspect of general bookselling. Trading is spread across three large floors and totals over 17,000sq ft.


Darrell Thrush-Denning, shop Manager added:


"To be included in the Independent's Top 50 Bookshops is not only a great honour, but a testament to the hard work that's been put in over the past six years by all at Blackwell, South Bridge. Our knowledgeable and friendly approach to bookselling is something we are extremely proud of and to be recognised by such a prestigious publication is fantastic."


"At Blackwell we are passionate about customer service and we want our customers, whether browsing or buying books in our shops or online, to enjoy their experience. I am proud of the fact that four of our shops feature in the Independent's Top 50 Bookshops and that the energy and commitment of our booksellers is recognised by our customers."


Vince Gunn, CEO, Blackwell UK


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