Proposals to close Grantham Book Services is 'blow to the town'

People have reacted to the “sad news” that a book distribution centre is proposed to close after operating for 30 years.

Penguin Random House is proposing to close Grantham Book Services, in Trent Road, in 2025, leaving 200 jobs at risk.

One reader said this is a “blow to the town”.

They added: “While I understand the businesses must evolve, it is disappointing that fewer people are purchasing physical books.”

Another reader said it was “immoral” to put “so many people out of work in a time of economic crisis.”

They added: “It [Grantham Book Services] could quite easily be incorporated into Penguin Random Houses’ main distribution mechanism.

“We need to start caring more about each other.”

Other readers took to Facebook to comment on the “sad news”. Richard Moses said he “hoped the guys working there find new employment soon”.

The proposal to close the site was announced on January 25 after a strategic view found the site was not “commercially viable”.

Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House, said: "We have provided distribution services to independent and smaller publishers through our warehouse at Grantham for over 30 years, including since 2008 from our current site on Trent Road.

"While we are very proud of our work for our publishing clients, after undertaking a recent strategic review, our findings have shown that unfortunately it is not commercially viable for Penguin Random House to continue running this aspect of our operations.

"As a result, we are proposing to close this business and shut our Grantham site in 2025.

"This proposal is subject to consultation with our employees, as unfortunately it means that a number of people are at risk of redundancy.

"We will not be making a final decision on the proposal until the completion of the consultation, and our priority over the coming months is to make sure everyone affected is supported through that process."

The company says it undertakes strategic views on all of its operations to make sure the business continues to adapt and respond to supply chains.

It is also unable to give a definite timeline on the consultation period.

Do you work at Grantham Book Services? Let us know your thoughts on the proposals to close the site at comment@granthamjournal.co.uk.